Rise of the Hollow King
by Karasu Tenka
Summary: To save her life, he became a beast. But the beast will not be caged again. AU depicting a different, somewhat darker, outcome of Ichigo's final battle with Ulquiorra.
1. Chapter 1

"Impossible." His voice was as emotionless as ever as he stated what should have been a simple fact. "You should not be alive." He walked slowly away from the human he had been about to kill, coming to a stop facing the man who had seemingly risen from the grave. "What is that form?" He asked, "Who... Are you?"

His thoughts were reeling in confusion. _This... cannot be Kurosaki Ichigo._ He thought again, almost as if he were trying to assure himself of the fact. _Kurosaki Ichigo is dead. I killed him with a Cero Oscuras at point blank range. Nothing could survive that._ He considered the creature standing before him, the collapsed form of Inoue Orihime sitting just in front of it with an expression of a mix of shock and horror on her face. _It stands at about Kurosaki's height, and it's muscle structuring is the same._ His mind analyzed it as he considered it, _However, it's skin has changed to a pale white color. And it's hair has... lengthened. And that mask... it is similar to his, I admit. But... no, the markings are different._ He continued analyzing everything about the thing that now stood where Kurosaki Ichigo had lay. But the more he looked, the less sense it made.

Then the creature moved.

It's hand flexed, and Tensa Zangetsu leaped from the ground, spinning through the air to it's waiting grasp. It then swung the blade up, and then back down in a simple reflex. The ground split, as a chunk, easily twenty feat long, and ten wide was shattered from simply the force of the displaced air.

Inoue shrieked as the eruption of air flung her away towards the tower. "Look out Inoue-san!" Shouted the other human present, as he hurled himself behind her to absorb their impact, his left arm hanging uselessly from the wounds that Ulquiorra had dealt.

The Arrancar seemed completely unfazed by the show of power. "Perhaps you did not hear me." He said calmly, "I asked you who you were." The thing that had been Ichigo threw it's head back and let loose a terrible shrieking, howling roar in response, one that seemed to shake the entire world around them. "Hmm... It seems that words do not reach you." Ulquiorra seemed almost disappointed as he raised a finger, generating a Cero Oscuras and preparing to fire.

Ichigo brought it's head down once more, it's horns pointing right at Ulquiorra. Then something impossible happened. From between the horns, a blood red Cero appeared, charging swiftly before being unleashed at the same time as the Arrancar's attack.

To an outside observer, it would have looked as though some form of cataclysm had suddenly been visited upon the roof of Las Noches. Not only did the red Cero stop the usually more powerful black one in it's tracks, it completely overpowered and obliterated it. The resulting explosion engulfed the area, and what appeared to be the very fires of hell rose high into the endless night of Hueco Mundo.

Ulquiorra burst from the flames into the air, his mind racing. _Impossible._ He thought, for the second time in as many minutes. _That was without a doubt, a Cero. He watched the massive flames burn upwards, Furthermore, it was one powerful enough to obliterate a Cero Oscuras. But this cannot be. No matter how much he may resemble a hollow... For a mere human to produce a Cero at all is..._

He didn't get a chance to finish his thought, as Ichigo appeared above and behind him, already generating another Cero between it's horns.

 _Dammit!_ He thought, before shouting, "Don't underestimate me!" He turned, thrusting his finger towards the creature, and fireing another Cero Oscuras.

The result was the same as the first time, the black Cero Oscuras was completely overwhelmed and engulfed, before an explosion rocked the surrounding area, forcing Ulquiorra to retreat once more. _That's twice now... my Cero Oscuras has been..._

Again, Ichigo appeared, this time directly behind him. Ulquiorra tried to turn, but felt his enemy's taloned hand close around his wrist. His eyes widened in shock as the creature raised it's sword and swung, cutting the arm off just above the elbow. Even as he fell away from the thing, it's leg flicked around and smashed into the side of his head, hurtling him towards the ground.

The thing that had been Ichigo let loose a howling roar of triumph before turning to watch the Arrancar rise to his feet once more.

Meanwhile, a ways off, Inoue and Ishida watched the battle unfold, their expressions both utterly horrified by what they were witnessing. "No way..." Inoue whispered, "Is that... really Kurosaki-kun?" She seemed completely unable to comprehend what she was witnessing. Even the normally level headed Ishida Uryuu had difficulty with it.

Ulquiorra's breath came in small gasps as he recovered his footing. Looking up into the air where the Ichigo creature stood, he considered it for a few moments, and then looked down to the stump that had been his arm until a few moments before. "Hmph." He sneered, before a new arm suddenly sprouted from the stump like some form of macabre plant. Inoue and Ishida both gasped at the sight, the Ichigo-thing simply stood there, not even twitching.

Clenching his clawed fingers to make sure that everything had grown back properly, Ulquiorra once again considered his opponent. _Something is wrong here..._ He thought. _Something about this battle just doesn't feel right..._ Suddenly his eyes widened in shock. _Wait... I can't... I can't sense his reiatsu..._ He couldn't believe that it had taken him so long to notice it, but looking back, he realized that Kurosaki Ichigo's reiatsu had completely vanished once this thing had stood up in his place. _And what's more... There seems to be no reiatsu emanating from this creature that I now fight. But that is impossible. Nothing can produce a Cero without reiatsu. Nothing can stand on the air without reiatsu. And NOTHING could cut through my Hierro without an immense amount of reiatsu._

His mind reeled trying to discern the cause of this impossibility. As he thought, he placed his hands together, drawing reishi together and forming a shining green spear of energy, "Lanza del Relámpago." He stepped forward, taking up position to attack, "Don't move." He said, "I'd prefer not to be anywhere near where this strikes." With that, he threw the lance of shining energy at the Ichigo-thing with as much force as he could muster.

The creature simply shifted it's head slightly, allowing the attack to sail past it unopposed. The attack flew out towards the desert of Hueco Mundo, coming down what seemed like kilometers from Las Noches. That distance aided in making the size of the resulting detonation slightly easier for the two onlooking humans to comprehend.

It was larger than anything they had ever seen before. Swiftly dwarfing even the enormous Las Noches, it continued growing larger and larger, until Ishida began to worry that it would still hit them even there. The wind picked up, displaced by the massive detonation, it blew hard enough to even extinguish the massive fire that the combatant's Ceros had caused. In the desert below, sand was thrown against the walls of Las Noches like the waves of some vast ocean.

 _Unbelievable..._ Ishida thought in shock. _How can he generate so much power from a single attack?_

"Hmm... Missed." Ulquiorra said, seemingly talking to himself. "These really are difficult to control." As he spoke, another green lance of reishi coalesced into his open hand.

 _What?!_ Ishida couldn't even bring himself to voice his fear aloud, _He can use that ability more than once?!_

Through all of this, the Ichigo-thing didn't move. It didn't even seem to breathe. It just stared down at Ulquiorra with the empty black eyes of it's skull mask. Something about it's complete disregard for the power that he had just displayed made the Arrancar pause. "I asked before _who_ you were." He said, "I realize now, that is the wrong question. A better question is _What_ are you?"

The creature said nothing, it simply continued staring. Then, suddenly, it just vanished. Ulquiorra's eye's widened in shock, before he felt a grip of steel close around his throat. Looking down, he found Ichigo's taloned hand crushing off his air, and lifting him up. And he saw the eyes of the mask, glowing like yellow-gold flames.

"I..." A rasping, bestial voice echoed from the mask. As he heard it, Ulquiorra felt his eyes widen even further, he felt his long black hair bristle, and he felt something cold creep down his spine. It took him a moment to realize that he was terrified. Something about this creature that now held him in a vice-like grip evoked a bone deep, primal fear in him. _Him!_ The creature spoke once again. "I... am... Shiro."

* * *

Everything was darkness. Everything was pain. He lay there, dead eyes staring blankly ahead. A thought crystalized in his mind, _Am I... dead?_

"Yup. That sounds about right, _King_." A cruel voice echoed across the darkness. "You died. Had a hole bigger than your head blasted clean through you. It was quite spectacular to watch honestly, even if it did hurt like a fucking bitch."

A pair of feet stepped into his view, they wore pure white straw sandals, and pitch black socks. A flicker of recognition came to him. _Y-you're..._

"Yeah." The voice laughed again sadistically, "I _told_ you that you wouldn't be able to ever get rid of me for good."

The figure before him knelt down, bringing his grinning face into view. _That... face... my face... I killed you..._ He tried to move, tried to get up, to find his sword, to kill his double again. But he couldn't move. He could barely keep his eyes open. He couldn't even speak. He could only think, and hate.

"I told you _boss_ , I am Zangetsu. You can't kill me, because I am your own damn soul. You could only keep me under control, caged like some kind of animal. But now? Now all bets are off." His grin vanished, replaced by something unreadable. "You died. But even through that, you still somehow heard her... and when she called for your help, you tried to answer. But the only way you could do that, was to let me out. So guess what? Congratulations. You and I are going to trade places, and I am going to be King now."

 _No... I... have to protect... her._

"Awe, so sweet. You think you have a choice."

 _Always have... a choice._ He willed his body to move. Screamed at his arm to reach up and stop him. _I'll... always stop... you..._ Hatred welled up inside him, as he thought of all the pain he had endured. All of the battles he had fought against this... double of himself. Hatred, and anger.

"Hey, hey... That's not a healthy attitude boss." His voice seemed... concerned. "I'm your _soul_ man. Hating me is literally just hating yourself." The hatred continued to grow, and grow. If it hadn't been for him... If he had just never existed... "Then we both would have died. Ages ago. I've kept us alive more times that either of us can count and you _know_ it."

It didn't matter. Nothing he said would keep the hatred down. _I'm going to kill you._

"Alright, new plan." A white hand closed over his eyes, while another hand reached under his chest and rolled him onto his back. "Look." The hand left his eyes, "What's done is done. The simple fact of the matter is, Y _ou. Are. Dead._ You have a hole in your chest. I don't know if even my abilities can heal that. And more importantly, I don't care. You let me out. You asked for my help. So I am going to do just that. And I think I'll bring you along for the ride."

His blank gaze looked out into the darkness, only his double standing over him in his gaze. _How?_

"By merging. We're both parts of the same soul. Together, we _may_ be able to save our life. But... what comes out of that merger... I don't know what it will be." He seemed nervous, the usual cruel grin, gone from his face. "And no. You do not get any say in this. I am telling you what is going to happen, not asking for your fucking permission. I'm your soul. The only thing I have ever tried to do is protect you, if that meant that I needed to step in and take over in order to do so, then that is what I did. But now, you have put us into the worst situation possible. And _I_ am going to save us."

He lay there, unable to move, unable to speak, unable to even feel. Even the hatred he had felt before had died out in the face of the overwhelming blackness that yawned out before him. Finally, with immense force of will, his eyes shifted to lock onto his double, that pale white being who had tormented him for so long. _Just... promise me. You'll protect... them._

The white man knelt down, an uncharacteristic smile on his face. Placing his hand on his chest, he said, "We will. One way or another. We will."

Suddenly, a brilliant flash of light consumed everything, driving away the darkness. As the wave of light grew and grew, a different, familiar shade of red-tinged black began to weave its way into the light.

His eyes opened, and he saw his taloned hand around Ulquiorra's throat. "I..." It hurt to talk, as though his throat was raw from screaming. "I... am... Shiro..." He forced himself to finish. "I... am... Alive."

* * *

"I... am... Alive."

At those words, the skull mask that covered the creature's head seemed to shatter. It fell away from his fase, revealing Ichigo's features, a blank, almost bored expression resting on his face. His skin was still the pale white that it had been during their battle.

Ulquiorra suddenly realized that part of the mask hadn't broken. specifically the section covering the top left part of his head. It sloped back, starting just above the ear and continuing up to the middle of the skull, and around the back of the head to the middle as well, but stopped before it reached past the hairline, leaving the eye unobstructed. A long horn had also survived as well, set in the middle of the section that now sat on Ichigo's head. _That... looks like an Arrancar's broken mask..._ He suddenly realized in shock.

Ichigo's eyes were open and gazing at the Espada in his grip. They were yellow, surrounded by black, just like they had been when Ichigo had donned his hollow mask during their battle. But there was something in them now that caused another shiver of fear down Ulquiorra's spine, something so inhuman. Like he was no longer looking at the Espada as an enemy to defeat, but as an insect to crush.

Ichigo's mouth opened, "You... are Ulquiorra." His voice was deeper than it had been before. It still held the bestial quality it had held before the mask broke. And it sounded as though it were several different voices layered on top of each other and then crushed together. But it seemed like he wasn't used to using it anymore. "You... killed... me." It almost sounded like he was trying to remember something that had happened decades ago, instead of a few scant minutes.

 _Is this... really Kurosaki Ichigo?_ Ulquiorra wondered as he clawed at the hand that still held his throat. He noticed in the back of his mind as he fought to escape the grip, that the fingers that held him were no longer clawed, but instead were the long decidedly human fingers that Kurosaki Ichigo had had before his strange transformation. He fought for breath in the strong grip of his captor, and finally managed to gasp out a word, "Kuro...saki?"

Ichigo blinked, a look of odd surprise crossing his face before dropping the Espada. Ulquiorra slumped to the ground, coughing as air forced it's way back into his lungs, and he breathed once more. Meanwhile, Ichigo looked at his hand curiously, as though it were some kind of alien entity.

Ulquiorra coughed once again, before pushing himself shakily back to his feet. "Are... you really Kurosaki Ichigo?" He realized once again that he still couldn't sense any reiatsu from the man before him.

"I..." Ichigo started to reply, but then stopped, his gaze moving across the rubble strewn battlefield and locking onto the two humans sitting almost a hundred feet away. He suddenly vanished, reappearing in front of them, staring down at them with a completely unreadable expression.

Ulquiorra blinked in shock once again, the speed with which the man had just moved literally defied anything he had ever witnessed before. Meanwhile, Ishida tried to position himself between Inoue and the man towering over them. He was in shock by the speed he'd moved at as well, and something about the man that bore Kurosaki's face made every bone in the Quincy's body scream at him to flee.

 _It's like the feeling I had while I fought Ulquiorra!_ He realized, _It's the same sensation... but so much stronger that I can't even stand._ Finally he found his voice again, raising his arm as though it would shield Inoue, he spoke, "Kurosaki... If that really is you... what... happened to you?"

Ichigo said nothing, he just continued staring down at them, his long hair swaying in the wind. Finally, Inoue broke the silence, "Ku-Kurosaki-kun?" She said fearfully, "A-are you... alri..." Her voice broke off as her gaze finally broke away from his inhuman yellow-black eyes and took in the rest of his form, eventually locking on the hole that still rested in the center of his chest. Her hand reached up, almost as if she were trying to grasp something, then moved to her lips. Shock and horror coalesced into her expression once again, and tears began to well up in her eyes. "Kurosaki-kun..."

"Inoue..." The voice that growled from Ichigo's lips was alien, causing the two humans to gasp, as pure, primal terror crept into their very bones at the sound. "You... are Inoue..." He seemed almost uncertain, as though he were dredging through memories that weren't his own, and from a long time ago. "You are... ok?"

She blinked, surprised by the question for some reason. Slowly, she managed to nod silently. Ichigo's eyes then shifted to Ishida, "You..." He didn't have the chance to finish whatever he was thinking, as his hand snapped up and caught a green lance of condensed energy that had suddenly speared it's way through the air. He then angled his wrist and flicked the lance into the air where it seemed to shatter before exploding. However the detonation wasn't nearly of the magnitude of the previous 'Lanza del Relámpago', and even in her shocked state, Inoue managed to bring up her Santen Kesshun around her and Ishida before the blast reached them.

Ichigo turned towards where the lance had originated. Ulquiorra stood there, another lance in his hand. "Did you forget?" The Espada asked calmly, "Did you forget that we are in the middle of a battle, Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ichigo considered the Arrancar for a moment, before crossing the distance between them in the time it took a heart to beat. "You..." He said, locking eyes with the shocked Espada, "You are starting to annoy me."

Ulquiorra blinked in surprise, both from the bluntness of the statement, and also because the statement had been the first uninterrupted sentence that Ichigo had spoken since his mask had broken. His shock was interrupted by blinding, white hot pain as the blade of Tensa Zangetsu cleaved through his chest, knocking him to the ground in a spray of blood. There was a crashing noise, and Ulquiorra looked back behind him as he fell, seeing that the shock wave from just Ichigo swinging his blade had shattered almost three hundred feet of stone in an arcing cone behind him. _Unbelievable..._ He thought as his back hit the ground, _Just what has he become?_

Inoue and Ishida stared in shock as the battle that had torn it's way through the throne room of Las Noches and up onto the roof, the battle which had shattered the stone towers that had risen hundreds of meters up from the top of the palace of the Arrancar, came to a terrifyingly abrupt end. Ishida looked at Ulquiorra's prone form, remembering vividly just how powerful the Espada was as pain once more shot up his ruined left arm. _He's completely outclassed..._ He thought.

All thoughts of Ulquiorra came to an abrupt halt as Ichigo once more appeared before them. Once again, the movement had been so fast that neither of them had even comprehended it. One heartbeat, the man who had once been their friend was standing over the fallen Espada. The next, he towered over them, his inhuman eyes gazing down at them, and his very essence seeming to radiate instinctual terror. _Whoever this... thing... is,_ Thought Ishida, _It's not Kurosaki._

Ichigo's eyes tracked across them, lingering for a moment on Ishida's left arm, where Ulquiorra had ripped his hand off. Then he locked eyes with the young Quincy. "You tried to protect her." It wasn't a question, Ishida realized. He nodded nervously. "Then I will let you live for now."

Inoue's eyes widened in pure horror. _He really just said that..._ She realized in shock. "Kurosaki-kun?" Her voice was tiny, barely a terrified whisper, but his eyes, those terrible yellow-black eyes, shifted to her anyways.

"No." His voice held a note of genuine sadness to it, even through it's inhuman, terror inducing deepness. "Kurosaki Ichigo is dead." Her eyes widened even further, and she seemed to slump back as though something inside her had just broken. "He died trying to protect you. I am what remained of his soul afterwards, I am Shiro."

Ishida felt the fear he had been experiencing intensify, and he knew that all of the color had drained from his face, just as it had from hers. He gulped, forcing his suddenly bone dry throat to work again, before asking. "Wh-what are you? Are you Shinigami? Or Hollow?"

'Shiro' seemed to pause for a moment, a look of uncertainty flickering across his face, "I... I am... me." He finally said, nodding to himself, as though that was the only possible answer.

"Then... what do you plan to do now?" Ishida asked, struggling to stand. He felt Inoue behind him, her eyes seemed to have gone blank, as though something inside her had died. _This is bad..._ He thought, _I need to get Inoue to safety._ "You said that you were going to 'let me live'. So now what?"

Shiro looked around again, before blinking once again across the distance between them and Ulquiorra. He reappeared a moment later, holding the fallen Espada by the wing. "I think I'll go send a message."

With that, he blinked away once more, stopping a few hundred meters away from the two humans, and a few meters up in the air. There, he looked down at the roof of Las Noches, aiming his horn at it. Then, at the end of the horn, the angry red light of a Cero began to glow, and quickly grew into the single largest Cero blast that Ishida Uryuu had ever seen.

* * *

Kuchiki Rukia was nervous. For the past several minutes, she had been unable to sense Ichigo's reiatsu. It wasn't just that the other reiatsu above the dome of Las Noches was so oppressively heavy, even through that, she could still sense Ishida and Inoue. But about twenty minutes ago, Ichigo's reiatsu had just vanished, and she was worried.

It had gotten bad enough that she had almost died several times, as she fought against the Arrancar Rudbornn. Fortunately, Sado 'Chad' Yasutora and Abarai Renji had arrived to help her, and they had succeeded in defeating the Arrancar executioner. However, things then went from bad to worse, as the massive Espada Yammy had appeared.

The three companions faced down the enormous Arrancar, preparing for another grueling, painful battle.

"Shit." Yammy said, "There's no way I can work off all of my rage at that four-eyed bastard on a couple of useless little shits like you." He smashed his fist into the large stone wall behind him, smashing the already heavily damaged structure into rubble. "I guess I'll just kill you all and go find _him_."

The three friends all tensed, preparing for his attack. Suddenly a massive shaft of harsh, angry red light ripped it's way through the top of the dome above them and smashed into the sand several hundred meters away from them. The blast of wind that followed forced everyone, even Yammy, to brace themselves to prevent being knocked over.

"Now what?" Asked Chad, his eyes wide as he watched the destructive blast.

"It came from the roof!" Shouted Renji, shielding his eyes from the blowing sand.

Rukia watched the blast, a terrified expression on her face. "There's no Reiatsu..." She said, causing everyone, Yammy included once again, to look at her, and then back to the blast once again.

Yammy frowned, trying to figure out what he was seeing. "Hmm... That's definitely a Cero..." He said aloud, "But the little Shinigami bitch is right... I can't sense any reiatsu... What the fuck is going on here?"

Finally, the Cero blast dissipated, leaving a massive hole in the dome, and a similarly sized crater in the sand. The four combatants stared at the hole in the sky, all of them trying to figure out what had happened, their own battle seemingly temperarilly forgotten. A figure descended from the hole, small with the distance, but growing larger as it floated down. As it descended, Rukia noticed that whoever, or _what_ ever it was, it held another, winged figure in one hand.

The being then seemed to notice the four of them watching it's progress. It turned, and threw the winged figure in it's hand at them. The body streaked across the distance like a meteorite, colliding with Yammy with enough force to knock him back and through the wall.

"What the fuck!?" The massive Arrancar coughed, grabbing the body that had hit him and standing back up. "What the... is this Ulquiorra?" He examined the smaller Espada's unfamiliar form before shaking him roughly, "Oye, oye! Ulquiorra? You alive, you little shit? You ain't gone and died on me have you?"

"Shut up." A deep, inhuman voice cut through the air. Yammy looked back up to the other figure still standing in the air a few dozen meters away from them, gazing down at them. The figure was dressed in what remained of a tattered, battle-worn outfit that left only his legs and his right arm covered. His skin was pale white, there were also what looked like tufts of red fur or hair around his wrists, ankles, and along his collarbone, and there was a hole in his chest, but what caught Yammy's attention the most, was the person's face.

"You!" He suddenly roared, dropping Ulquiorra to the side unceremoniously. "I've been wanting to kill you for ages now after you cut off my arm!" He ripped his Zanpakutō from it's sheath, "You hold still you little fucking shit! I'm gonna fucking kill you right now!"

Chad, Rukia, and Renji watched the Arrancar's display of hatred, and then once again looked back to the figure in the air. But it was gone. "What the...?" Renji started to say, before a shock-wave from an attack impact knocked the three of them away once again.

Yammy meanwhile gasped in pain and shock as the smaller figure buried a fist into his solar-plexus. The force of the punch sent him tumbling away to smash into the sand several dozen meters later. Slowly, he rose back to his feet, gasping for breath and trying not to throw up from the pain. "What... the... fuck...?" He managed to croak between retching breaths.

By this point, Renji had regained his footing, and found himself staring in wide eyed shock at a figure that bore a disturbing resemblance to Kurosaki Ichigo, but was very _clearly_ no longer human. "I-Ichigo...?" He asked quietly.

Rukia and Chad also got back to their feet, finally locking eyes on the figure. "What the hell?" Asked Rukia. "Is that... Ichigo?"

Chad felt his throat grow dry, and a sense of bone-deep foreboding began to creep into his stomach. "We need to get out of here..." He said, struggling to not let the pure terror that he felt sound in his words. "Whatever is going on here... We're out of our league."

His Shinigami companions both exchanged shocked glances with each other before turning their gazes back to the large human. They had never once, in all the time that they had known Chad, heard him suggest a retreat from a battle. Even in the worst of situations, he had always been a silent bastion of courage and strength. As they looked at him now, they both realized how very right he was. They both felt the same primal terror that seemed to emanate from the being before them.

The being that looked like Ichigo simply ignored them however. His gaze remained locked on Yammy, his expression looking almost bored as the large Arrancar regained his breath. "You are... Yammy, yes?" His voice was deep, and utterly inhuman. It sounded almost bestial, but at the same time it was somehow smooth and refined. The terror that the Shinigami and Human felt seemed to intensify as his words echoed through the air. "Kurosaki Ichigo fought you. In the park back in the world of the living."

"Eh? You mean you ain't the Kurosaki brat?" Yammy seemed genuinely confused.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is dead." The statement was simple, but it caused everyone present to gasp slightly. "I am what remained of his soul. I am Shiro. And I am going to kill you, Yammy."

Yammy paused for a moment, seeming almost stunned by the statement. Then he started to laugh. "Gyahahahahah! That's rich, you little shit. You don't even have any reiatsu!" This statement caused the other three present to do a double-take, looking back at 'Shiro' with a mixture of shock and confusion. "Enrage! IRA!" A massive wave of reiatsu burst forth from the Arrancar as he unleashed his Resurrección, the sand surrounding him swirling up to obscure him from view. Suddenly the sand burst away, revealing a giant where the Arrancar had stood.

"What the hell?!" Renji gasped, looking up at the released form of the massive Espada. Yammy was now easily over a hundred feet tall, the lower half of his body looking like some disturbing centaur-like thing, as six enormous legs held him aloft, and a massive clubbed tail swung back and forth from the end of his body. But what caught the Shinigami's attention most, was the number tattoo identifying him as an Arrancar. It had changed somehow. Instead of the "10" that it had read, all that seemed to remain was a massive "0".

"Cero Espada. Yammy Riyalgo." The monstrous Arrancar roared with a booming voice. "I am the most powerful Espada! You stand no chance!" He swept his enormous fist down, aiming to crush the man who had identified himself as 'Shiro' with a single massive blow.

"Look out!" Rukia shouted, prompting Renji and Chad to leap away.

Shiro simply stood there, his expression unchanged. "You really are nothing more than an animal, aren't you?" He suddenly sighed, just before the fist struck. The resulting shock-wave from the attack knocked the Shinigami and Chad back even further.

Yammy let loose a bone shakingly loud roar of pain. His arm was suddenly hanging limply to his side, a massive cut right up the center of it and all the way through, that stopped just before the shoulder joint. The arm had literally been cut in half lengthwise.

"Sorry." Shiro's voice was calm, almost conversational, but everyone heard it as though he were inches from their ear. "I meant to cut your arm completely off. I guess I missed."

"You... You little shit!..." Yammy gasped, clutching at his now useless arm. "I... I am going... to fucking...-"

"Shut up." Shiro's expression darkened. "I'm tired of hearing you talk." Suddenly he just vanished, reappearing behind the Espada's head, blood suddenly coating the dark blade of his Zanpakutō.

Yammy's eyes widened in shock as arterial blood began busting forth from a massive gash that had somehow opened across his neck. His eyes seemed to bulge outwards as he struggled to speak, or even breathe. He clawed weakly at his throat, as if that could somehow fix the damage that had been done.

On the ground, not far from where Shiro had stood, Ulquiorra groaned. Shaking himself back to full consciousness, he shakily rose to his feet, trying to take stock of the situation. His eye's widened in shock as he saw Yammy.

"You are awake Ulquiorra?" Shiro apeared in the air above Yammy. "Then watch closely." He pointed his horn towards the Cero Espada, and the telltale glow of a Cero blast began to grow from the tip.

The blast engulfed Yammy in a flash of harsh red light so bright, that it forced the onlookers to shield their eyes. When their vision cleared, the sight that awaited them left all of them completely stunned. Yammy Riyalgo's entire upper body had been vaporized. The lower 'centaur' half of his body remained standing, however the front pair of legs had been sheared in half, blood pouring forth from them onto the sand. As they watched, the legs seemed to rock for a moment, before the simply collapsed. The knees on the remaining legs seemed to just give out and they slumped forward.

Shiro stood in the same spot that he had fired from, gazing down at them. His expression unreadable, but somehow even more terrifying than he had ever been. "I am Shiro." He said, his voice ringing out loud and clearly. "And as of this moment, Ulquiorra Cifer. You. Serve. Me."


	2. Chapter 2

"What the hell was that? I felt some big spike of Reiastu, and then... nothing."

"There was a massive flash of red light in the direction of that spike as well, just before it happened. And then another one just after. What could be going on over there?"

"That's also the direction that Abarai and Rukia went. It would seem that while we were busy recovering, the battles over there deteriorated."

The three captain's walked along the dunes that made up the floor of Las Noches, not yet rushing, as they trusted their subordinates to be alright, but also because they were being cautious. Captain Zaraki spat into the sand as he walked, "Fuck. Whatever that reiatsu spike was... I really thought that I'd find a genuinely fun fight there. Whatever happened to that little bastard, it'd better have been really dramatic. Otherwise I'm gonna fucking kill the next person I see."

"Shut up you worthless animal." Kuchiki Byakuya warned, turning to face the battle-mad captain. "We came here to secure this facility and cut off Aizen's support. Not to find you your petty entertainment."

"Eh?" Zaraki stopped walking, turning instead to face down the nobleman. "The fuck you say to me Kuchiki? How about I just carve you up instead? I may actually enjoy that." He drew his jagged edged Zanpakutō as he spoke, gesturing for the other captain to attack him.

Kuchiki did not rise to the bait however. "I could care less about what you like." He said, turning his back on Kenpachi with a contemptuous flick of his head. "And I really have no interest in fighting you. It would serve no purpose beyond wasting my time further than you already do." Kenpachi bristled as Byakuya began walking away, and seemed about to lunge at him for a stab.

"Both of you, please. Stop this arguing at once." The third captain stopped a few meters ahead of where the two had been arguing. "We don't have time for this today, and it only serves to aid any enemies that we may encounter."

"Of course Unohana-dono." Byakuya said, continuing on and once again ignoring the fuming Kenpachi. "I suggest that we hurry. I am beginning to worry about my sister, her reiatsu has felt unstable for a while now."

"Tch." Kenpachi spat once again, "Fine. I'll go on ahead, if there's anything there to kill, I may finally be able to vent some of this frustration." With that, he lunged forward into a blurring series of shunpos, darting off in the direction of the reiatsu of Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Rneji.

Unohana stroked her chin in thought as the battle hungry captain vanished from sight. _Something is wrong._ She thought, old instincts rising from the dredges of her long memories. _Something is very, very wrong._ Looking over to Byakuya, she nodded. "Let us go as well. I have... a bad feeling about what awaits us."

* * *

Ulquiorra stared wide eyed in shock at the remains before him. One moment Yammy had stood there, in pain and dying. Then in a flash of violent red, the strongest Espada had simply ceased to exist as anything more than a memory and a stain of blood on the sand. He felt his shoulders slump slightly as he willed his power to seal itself away once more.

There was nothing else he could do. He had already been soundly defeated on his own, and he had held absolutely no illusions about the magnitude of Yammy's power when fully released. And Shiro had vaporized the loud, arrogant fool.

He felt his form continue to shift, his wings shriveled and vanished, his horns shrank, one of them vanishing completely while the other swept gracefully back as the white helmet-like remains of his hollow mask reformed. His Arrancar uniform also reformed itself, the long white coat appearing over his chest. It was still torn and battered from his earlier battle with Ichigo, however that seemed so inconsequential in the face of all that had happened since.

Shiro slowly descended through the air, his eyes still locked on Ulquiorra, waiting for him to say something. As he touched down, Ulquiorra locked eyes with him. "What do you mean 'I serve you'?"

Shiro gestured about to Las Noches, "A king needs subjects, just as much as he needs a palace." His eyes once again returned to the Espada, "And I intend to be King."

The statement caught Ulquiorra by surprise. He hadn't known what to expect as he faced down the being before him, but he had at least assumed that it would have been something that Kurosaki Ichigo would have said. "You really aren't him anymore, are you?" He asked quietly, the reality finally hitting home. Kurosaki Ichigo, the boy that he had studied and watched and judged at the order of Aizen-sama, the boy who had rushed headlong to his own doom in order to protect one he cared about, was really dead.

"I suspect that some of his personality and ideology survived, somewhere in the depths of my soul. But as a person, no. Kurosaki Ichigo died atop the dome of Las Noches." Shiro examined the Zanpakutō in his hand, it hadn't changed at all physically from the bankai of the young Shinigami, he knew that as the faded memories of his former self filtered through his mind. But something about it felt different, there was a sense of oneness that he had never once experienced before. "What I am now... is the remnants of his soul. All of his soul."

Ulquiorra nodded slightly, "That explain's your apparent Arrancar nature then. The hollowfication that Kurosaki used in combat would make up a solid foundation to rebuild a soul. Even I have to admit that the hollow within his soul was..." His mind flashed back to the primal creature that he had fought atop the dome. "Extremely powerful."

Shiro nodded as well. "I am still figuring out exactly what I am... _Who_ I am... But I know this for certain." His gaze hardened into something dangerous, "Kurosaki Ichigo was a reactionary fool. He did nothing to prevent fate until after it had happened, and then fought stupid, uphill battles in attempt to 'defy' what his inaction had allowed. I am not so passive. I will take my place on the throne of my own fate, and any who try to stop me will die."

"And you wish to use Las Noches as your seat of power?" The Espada was slowly building an understanding of the man before him. _Now I see..._ He realized quietly as he once again glanced at the colossal remains of Yammy. _Now I understand why he seems to not have any reiatsu._ His eyes widened as another realization struck him. "If that is indeed the case, Shiro...sama," The term felt strange as he spoke it, "Then you will need to defeat Aizen-sama. While he still lives, no Arrancar will acknowledge your rule."

Shiro's grin reminded Ulquiorra of some enormous predator just before it was going to deliver the killing blow to it's pray. "That's the plan." Ulquiorra felt a shock flow through him as he realized that he was actually looking forward to seeing the battle to come. "But first..." Shiro turned and considered the three figures standing several meters away for the first time since he'd arrived.

All three of them stared at him with a strange mixture of shock, horror and pure terror, but none of them fled. Instead, they all droped into combat stances, clearly expecting him to attack. _Or perhaps it's just reflex._ He thought as he watched them, _It's clear that they're afraid. But they also know that they couldn't outrun me if they tried._ His eyes finally locked with the tall human in the group. "Chad..." His voice was quiet as more of Ichigo's memories flooded through him. He examined them all passively as he realized that they were little more than copies. There was knowledge, and information in all of the memories he held, but no emotion. No feeling. Nothing to connect him back to the man he had been.

Shiro opened his mouth to speak, when a sudden, massive wave of reiatsu erupted from the desert behind him. Turning, he saw a large figure leap at him from almost six hundred paces, crossing the distance in a matter of moments in a swirling, laughing frenzy. Then a long, jagged sword blade scythed down at his neck as Zaraki Kenpachi finally came within range.

The clash caused a massive shock-wave, forcing Ulquiorra to leap backwards and Renji, Rukia and Chad to brace themselves against the wind. When their vision cleared and the dust began to settle, they saw that Shiro had somehow managed to bring his Zanpakutō up in time to block the Shinigami captain's strike. The two were locked blade to blade, Kenpachi laughing insanely while Shiro's expression seemed unchanged.

"Holy shit!" Kenpachi laughed while trying to force Shiro's blade aside, "You got really damn ugly Ichigo. But you got really damn strong too! FINALLY! I can really let loose!" He reached up, ripping away the eyepatch that covered his left eye. The density of reiatsu surrounding him skyrocketed as the self-imposed seal on his might was removed.

"Kenpachi..." Shiro sighed, his feet sinking into the sand as the large Shinigami redoubled his effort to force his way through the black blade of Tensa Zangentsu. "I should have expected this."

As they stood there, blades locked together, the other two Shinigami Captains arrived. Unohana's eyes widened in shock as she took in the view before her, and then even more as she noticed the grisly remains of Yammy in the background. "Captain Zaraki, what do you think you are doing?" She demanded.

"I will answer." The voice took Unohana by surprise as Ulquiorra appeared beside her. Byakuya immediately dropped into a fighter's stance, his hand falling quickly to the hilt of his Zanpakutō, Unohana simply backed away from him. Ulquiorra eyed Byakuya with an exhausted expression, "There is no need for that Kuchiki Byakuya." He said, turning his gaze back to Shiro and Kenpachi. "I am in no condition to fight at the moment. Your compatriot Zaraki Kenpachi attacked the man you knew as Kurosaki Ichigo. I suspect he did so because of the Hollow hole that has formed on his chest. Why he attacked Shiro-sama instead of me... perhaps he could instinctively feel Shiro-sama's strength, or perhaps he could somehow sense my current weakness. I cannot honestly say for sure."

Byakuya's gaze snapped back to Shiro, shock in his eyes as he finally registered the massive hole in the other man's chest. "Kurosaki Ichigo... became a hollow?" His voice was weak with disbelief. "We knew that he had a hollow within his soul, but all reports were that he had subdued it."

Unohana didn't speak. She simply gazed at the two men struggling before her, as her instincts howled at her to run for her life. There was some kind of primal terror that emanated from the man the Espada beside her referred to as 'Shiro-sama', one that evoked a feeling within her that she hadn't felt in centuries. She realized with a shock that she desperately wanted to fight this man... "This is very bad..." She finally said, drawing Byakuya's attention. "Captain Zaraki cannot defeat him."

As she said this, the two combatants finally broke away from each other. Kenpachi leaped back, while Shiro simply stayed in place, pulling his feet from beneath the sand with a terrifying casualness. "Tell me Kenpachi," He said, his expression never changing from the look of mild boredom that had dominated his features since the captain had arrived, "Are you really going to force me to kill you here?"

"Eh?" Kenpachi seemed confused by the question, "The fuck is that supposed to mean? I can tell Ichigo. You're stronger than you've ever been, and now it looks like you've gone and become an Arrancar somehow as well. So why the hell wouldn't I fight you?" He looked down at his Zanpakutō, "My blade's shivering in anticipation for this Ichigo!"

"I'm starting to get really tired of correcting everyone every few minutes." Shiro sighed angrily. "Kurosaki Ichigo is dead. I am Shiro, and if you insist on fighting me Zaraki Kenpachi, you will die."

Kenpachi was silent for a few moments, then he started to laugh his laughter growing more and more glee filled as it echoed across the sand. Finally, he recovered enough composure to talk again, "You're saying that you are going to kill me? Heh, how interesting..." He took his Zanpakutō in both hands, settling into a stance to strike from.

Again the emotionless memories of Ichigo floated through Shiro's mind, as he recalled seeing Kenpachi take a very similar stance barely an hour before. He recalled the incredible destructive force that a single strike from such a stance had produced. He sighed as he realized that he no longer cared how strong the Shinigami captain was. "Very well. I had intended to let you live out of respect for your friendship with Kurosaki Ichigo," He settled into a wide based combat stance, raising Tensa Zangetsu to the ready with both hands. "But if you insist on this, I will give you a quick death." His blade was above his head, ready to be brought down in a single powerful strike.

Kenpachi's grin only grew wider. He raised his own blade up to mirror Shiro's stance, indicating that the battle would be decided by power alone. Everyone watching gasped in horror as the former friends prepared to kill each other. The moments seemed to stretch into eternity as they faced each other, both seeming to wait for some invisible signal, the tension in the air growing so sharp that it actually hurt the onlookers to breathe.

Just as the tension seemed ready to snap, a figure suddenly stepped between them. "No." Unohana said with a force and severity that shocked all present even more than her movement.

"What the fuck are you doing Unohana!?" Kenpachi roared, "Move the fuck out of my way!"

"I will not." She said, turning to face him, "You cannot beat him Zaraki. And I _refuse_ to allow you to throw away your life here."

The finality in her tone actually seemed to physically strike the large man. He rocked back on the balls of his feet, his eyes widening, and his grip faltering. Seeing this, Shiro lowered his blade as well, another sigh escaping his lips.

Unohana turned back to face the Arrancar, pausing for a moment to consider the hole that yawned across his chest. "You said your name is... Shiro, yes?" He nodded, "What happened to you? How did Kurosaki Ichigo die?"

Shiro considered the woman before him for a moment. The memories he had of her from Ichigo painted her as a gentle, kind, motherly woman, and yet here, now, he could sense something... genuinely dangerous about her. Something that actually made him wary of her. He had to admit, he was genuinely impressed. Smiling, he finally answered her. "Kurosaki Ichigo died twenty five minutes ago, atop the dome of Las Noches, when the Cuarto Espada Ulquiorra Cifer unleashed a massively powerful Cero at point blank range to his chest." He gestured to the hole in his chest, "This is the physical result of that attack." He paused, hearing a sobbing gasp from behind him. Turning, he saw Rukia, her hands covering her mouth, and a look of anguished horror etched across her eyes. "As he died, Inoue Orihime and Ishida Uryuu arrived. Inoue tried to revive him using her power, but the damage was too extensive. While she did this, Ishida attempted to battle with Ulquiorra. That was when Ichigo's consciousness fully died. The rest of the details of what happened are... unclear to me. But I suspect that the hollow within his soul fully manifested itself. Given what I awoke too once my consciousness manifested... I believe that the resulting battle was... interesting."

By this time, Byakuya had made his way forward to stand beside Unohana, "But what are you? If Kurosaki Ichigo is indeed dead, then why does his body stand before us now?"

"I am Shiro." He said again simply, as though that would answer everything. "As near as I can tell... I was born from the shattered fragments of Ichigo's soul in the last moments of it's existence. I hold his memories, but they are cold, faded, as though I were looking at a picture album rather than reliving a life. I wear his face, but I am not him." Shiro's expression became oddly contemplative as he spoke. "I am still learning what I am. But I know this much. I am an Arrancar. And I intend to take what will be mine."

He suddenly seemed to blink out of existence, reappearing beside Ulquiorra behind the captains. Everyone's expression changed to pure shock, none of them had even sensed him move. Even Kenpachi felt a shiver of paralytic fear crawl down his spine at the display of speed. Ulquiorra simply shifted his gaze to Shiro's new position, having seen the speed of the newborn Arrancar several times already.

"Ulquiorra, open a Garganta to Karakura town." Shiro ordered, once again drawing shocked expressions from the gathered Shinigami. "I think it is time I announced my existence to the rest of my future subjects. I also have someone I need to kill."

Ulquiorra simply nodded quietly, turning and flicking the air, causing what looked like a tear in the very fabric of reality to open until the hole was almost seven feet wide. Shiro stepped into the gaping darkness, followed by Ulquiorra, before pausing and turning back to the gathered Shinigami. "I suggest that you all leave Las Noches before I return." He said simply, "Out of respect for the memories I have of you all, I will allow you to live today. But if I find any of you here when I come back from Karakura," His eyes narrowed darkly, "You will beg me to kill you."

The Garganta snapped shut, leaving the gathered Shinigami in stunned, horrified silence.

* * *

The battle above the false Karakura town had raged for what felt like an eternity. The gathered Shinigami lieutenants had, with difficulty, managed to repel the initial attack made by Aizen's Arrancar army. They had suffered a few losses, but the casualty rate of the Arrancars was almost complete.

The Fracion army of the Segunda Espada Barragan had been completely annihilated, while the three Fracion of the Tres Espada Tia Hallibel had faced the onslaught of Captain Commander Yamamoto himself.

The remaining Espada themselves were now engaged in combat with the Captain Shinigami who were present. Hallibel faced down the young prodigy Hitsugaya Toushiro, Barragan fought against Captain Soi Fong, and The Primera Espada Coyote Starrk and his partner Lillinette Gingerback had squared off against Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro.

 _All in all,_ Thought Aizen as he stood surrounded by a massive wall of flame, _Things are proceeding right on schedule._

Hallibel had been the first of the Espada to release her Zanpakutō, and the battle between her mastery over water, against Hitsugaya's ice powers had been truly fierce.

Histugaya lay where he had collapsed, the pain lancing through his body making it difficult to even think clearly, let alone move. He had managed to destroy Hallibel's last attack, protecting the injured Lieutenants below him at the cost of suffering an immense amount of damage. Finally stirring, he regained his grip on Hyourinmaru, and forced himself to stand.

Hallibel gazed down at him as he rose, "You won't be able to fight at full power like that." She observed.

"That's... exactly why..." Hitsugaya said between pained breaths, "I'm gonna have to use _it_."

Hallibel sighed, the boy seemed like he could barely stand, let alone fight. "How futile..." She sounded almost sad.

Hitsugaya said nothing, instead he closed his eyes, and inhaled deeply. The air seemed to darken and suddenly grow cold around the young captain as he began to glow with reiatsu, the wings of ice across his back, formed by his released bankai began to regrow, the damage that they had suffered seeming to vanish. As this happened, the sky above him darkened with thick rolling storm clouds that reached out across what seemed like kilometers.

"Wh-What the...?" Hallibel looked around her, watching the clouds continue to spread. "What is this?"

"Tensou Juurin." Said Hitsugaya as he rose back into the air. "It is one of Hyourinmaru's most basic abilities. It also happens to be his strongest." Hallibel looked back to the youth as he spoke, "My powers are still developing," He said, "I know that better than anyone. That's why I didn't want to use this ability in bankai... I wasn't sure if I could properly control the aim of this attack. But... given how this battle has gone so far... I guess I don't have much choice." His gaze sharpened once more as he prepared to strike. "Tell me your name, Espada."

The Arrancar regarded him for a few moments, her expression unreadable. "Tres Espada," She said finally, "Tia Hallibel."

"Tenth Squad Captain, Hitsugaya Toushiro." He replied, there was a certain level of respect in his tone Hallibel noted. "Let's go."

At that moment, reality tore apart in the space between them. A Garganta ripped it's way open as an Arrancar wearing a rather battle-worn white coat stepped out. Hitsugaya recognized him from the description given to the Gotei 13 by Urahara Kisukue as one of the first two Arrancar that had appeared at the beginning of this war.

"Ulquiorra?!" Hallibel exclaimed in shock, clearly this was not a planned appearance. "What are you..." The question died in her throat as the second figure emerged from the Garganta. He stood about the same height as Ulquiorra, with long orange hair that seemed to reach down to his waist. In the middle of his chest, was a hollow hole, and atop the left side of his head sat what could only be the remains of a broken hollow mask, one that featured a long, sharp looking horn. Whatever clothes he had worn in the past seemed to have been destroyed, leaving a ragged, tatterd pair of hakama pants, and the remains of a sleeve on his right arm as his only garb. Tufts of red fur ringed his wrists and ankles, and also rose up along his collar-bones, and in his hand was a pure black katana shaped Zanpakutō. Hallibel took in all of this detail within moments, before the fear registered in her mind.

She felt the color drain from her face. Whoever this stranger was, he terrified her in a way she had never thought possible. A very swift glance down towards her former opponent, Hitsugaya Toushiro, confirmed that the feeling of fear was not only hers. This newcomer seemed to radiate fear, as a flame produced heat. Hallibel also realized dully, that she could not sense any reiatsu from him, this fact only served to terrify her more. As her gaze once more tracked up his figure, she realized that she knew his face from somewhere.

 _Who is this man?_ She asked herself, desperately trying to remember.

"Kuro...saki... Ichigo...?" Hitsugaya's voice trembled dangerously.

 _That's it!_ Hallibel realized, her memory drawing back to the meeting between the ten Espada several days ago. _Aizen-sama warned us not to underestimate him. But he was a Shinigami wasn't he? Or at the very least, he was a human who wielded Shinigami powers. What happened to him?_

Ichigo's gaze shifted slightly, looking down towards the young captain, "Hitsugaya Toushiro..." His voice reminded Hallibel of a volcano, or some other form of destructive force of nature. It was deep, and seemed to have an almost bestial edge to it, but at the same time, it seemed to be as smooth as Aizen-sama's. It was a very strange distinction, Hallibel decided, but the only way that she could describe it.

Ichigo turned his gaze away from the young Shinigami, almost as if he were beneath notice. Instead, those terrible yellow-black eyes fell on Hallibel, and she felt her fear return even stronger than before. "You..." He said quietly, suddenly mere inches from her face, "You are an Espada correct?"

Hallibel's eyes widened in shock as she registered how close he suddenly was. _How...?_ She tried to back away, but found herself seemingly paralyzed by fear. _When the hell did he move?_ It was then that she realized that he had asked her a question. Weakly, she nodded, gulping in fear and screaming silently for her body to move.

"Where is Aizen Sosuke?" The question felt like some form of ultimatum, one that if she didn't answer, would have truly dire consequences.

Her whole body shaking, Hallibel forced herself to move, pointing towards the massive ball of flames burning in the sky. "H-he... is... u-up th-there..." She managed to choke out, silently amazed that she'd been able to speak at all.

Then he was gone. He simply vanished, leaving Hallibel visibly trembling, sweat dripping down her cheek and neck. Ulquiorra approached her, his steps causing small displacements in the air as he drew closer. "Rather incredible, isn't he? Hallibel-san?" His voice was somehow as calm and seemingly emotionless as ever.

"What... the hell... was that?" She slowly felt herself regaining her composure, _At least my breathing is starting to steady itself._ She thought quietly, "Was that... the Kurosaki boy that Aizen-sama warned us about?"

"No." Ulquiorra stood before her, his hands buried in his pockets almost as though he were just out for a simple walk. "That was Shiro-sama. And unless my assumption of him is very, very wrong... in a few minutes, that will be the new king of Hueco Mundo."

Hallibel felt her eyes widen in shock. Ulquiorra seemed so sure of his statement. And his analytical abilities had rarely been wrong in the past. But that meant that this 'Shiro' was planning on killing Aizen-sama. _Is that...really possible?_

* * *

Shiro's appearance did not go unnoticed as he entered the battlegrounds above the fake Karakura town. The sudden appearance of the Garganta, followed by the spiritual pressure of the Cuarto Espada had been enough to draw the attention of everyone still conscious and alive. When Shiro had stepped from the Garganta, the same thought shot through every single mind present. Even those not close enough to be effected by the near palpable aura of fear around him. A single crystalline, terrifying thought: _He is dangerous._

Captain Commander Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai stared wide eyed as the creature vanished away from where he had stood. _I can barely track it's movement..._ He thought, _It's that fast?! Who could be that fast without reiatsu?_

Coyote Starrk felt cold sweat roll down the back of his neck as the figure vanished from in front of Hallibel. Even at this distance, he could tell how the encounter had effected the usually stoic female Espada, and her reaction after it had ended spoke endlessly more volumes about the mysterious newcomer. He spared a brief glance towards his opponent, Kyoraku Shunsui, but found only that the Shinigami captain was also trying desperately to make sense of the situation.

Barragan watched as the figure reappeared in the air, standing before the wall of flames that had sealed off Aizen from the battle. He couldn't place it, but he felt as though the figure radiated something even more than just the fear, which he could even feel lightly several hundred meters away. _No..._ He thought, _There's something else there. He reminds me of..._ His one good eye widened as his memory flashed to an event so long ago in the past that he had been a lowly Adjuchas at the time. _He reminds me of Arturo-sama..._

On the street, Komamura Sajin felt the fur on the back of his neck bristle, as every single one of his instincts told him to avoid the figure in the sky at all costs. _I've never felt such potent fear..._ He realized in shock. "Kira..." He said to the lieutenant sealed within a barrier behind him, "No matter what happens... do not leave that barrier. And do not stop treating the injured."

Kira Izuru could hardly breathe, but the fox-like captain's words somehow managed to pierce the fog of terror in his mind, snapping him back to reality. "O-of course... Captain Komamura..." He said, turning back to the injured lieutenants in his care. _Don't think about it..._ He told himself, _Don't think about that fear... don't let it take hold again... Don't think about it..._

* * *

Aizen stirred from his thoughts as he felt Ulquiorra's reiatsu appear in the skies above Karakura, _Ulquiorra? I ordered him to defend Las Noches..._

"Well this sure is interesting... ain't it Captain Aizen?" Ichimaru Gin smiled over at him with his customary serpent like grin, "Seems like something must have happened back home for him to be showin' up here now."

"Indeed." Aizen replied frowning slightly, "The only question is, what could possibly have happened to cause Ulquiorra to ignore my order?"

"There is something on the other side of these flames." Kaname Tousen suddenly spoke. "I cannot feel any reiatsu, but all of my senses tell me that someone is there."

Aizen knew better than to question Kaname's judgement in such matters. Instead, he extended his own senses forth, trying to discern what was there. "Hmm... I sense..." His brow furrowed in concentration, until... there. "Yes... there is indeed a presence just outside this little prison. How odd... it feels like there should be some form of reiatsu, but I cannot sense it either."

"Ya' think maybe whoever it is, they'll let us out of here?" Gin asked jokingly, "I'm startin' to get a bit tired of watching the firelight. Make's for a really boring conversation piece you see."

Shiro stood in front of the massive flames of Ryuujinjaka, the heat buffeting against his bare chest. He had to admit, the prison of fire was indeed impressive. "Seems a shame..." He lamented quietly to himself, "But sorry, old man, I've got someone to kill."

Taking Tensa Zangetsu in both hands, he raised the Zanpakutō above his head. "Getsuga... Tenshou!" Bringing the blade scything down, he unleashed the attack, and for those watching, the world seemed to shatter.

Yamamoto Genryusai felt his grip on his staff tighten to the point that the wood actually snapped. _This is bad._ He thought as the massive wave of black tinged with red completely consumed the flames and continued on, smashing into and then through the protective barrier the Gotei 13 had set up around the battle ground. _I may need to use it..._

Shiro watched the smoke clear from his attack, idly wondering if he should have actually just killed Aizen from within the flames. "Come out, Aizen." He said sternly, "I know you aren't dead. Not yet anyways."

"My, that certainly surprised me." Aizen stepped from the smoke, his eyes closed. "But I'm afraid that if you wished to kill me, you'll need to do..." He stopped talking as his eyes opened and he finally saw the man before him, "Kurosaki Ichigo?" He seemed genuinely shocked. _What's going on here? He should be battling and growing stronger in Las Noches... not here, and with no reiatsu at all instead._

"Wrong." Shiro smirked, flicking Tensa Zangetsu slightly. "But it's a common mistake. One that I'll correct for the last time after I finish this. I am Shiro. And I am going to kill you, Aizen Sosuke."

* * *

 **Chapter two done! :D Thank you all for your incredible support of this new project of mine, and also thank you all for your feedback and reviews of the previous chapter.**

 **Also, bonus points to you if you can figure out why everyone think's Shiro has no reiatsu ;) But please don't spoil it for everyone else**

 **In answer to some of your questions,**

 **Yes, I am hoping to make Shiro into a completely new and separate entity from Ichigo and Hollow Ichigo. I haven't completely hammered down exactly _what_ I want him to be just yet, so think of him as a constantly evolving thing. He may change more over the course of this story, or he may not. But whatever happens, I'm sure he will be a total badass doing it.**

 **And secondly: I haven't yet decided whether I'm going to add in a "harem" element or not. I admit that the temptation is certainly there. (Hallibel, Nel, and maybe a hollowfied Inoue? Come on, who _wouldn't_ want a harem like that?) But I have indeed heard some of your thoughts on the matter as well. Not to mention, everyone so far seems to be too damn scared of Shiro to want fall in love with him. The point is, I haven't yet made up my mind one way or the other. If a harem does form, it will not be a very large part of the plot. (I have too many awesome fights that I want to see Shiro tear his way through :P)**

 **Oh yeah, and I realized after I finished posting the previous chapter, that I got the details of Yammy's released form slightly wrong. He had a lot more than just 6 legs. My bad. :P**


	3. Chapter 3

Hirako Shinji let out a violent string of curses as the massive wave of red-tinged black ripped it's way through the barrier before him. And then cursed even more as the construct began to shatter away from the point of the breach.

"This can't be good." Said Aikawa Love, as he watched the powerful barrier fade. "That thing was supposed to be able to hold back Captain class fighters. Whatever that attack was just tore through it like tissue paper."

"Look on the bright side." Grinned Mashiro, "At least now we can get in there."

"Yeah, and do what?" Snapped Hiyori, "Without that barrier, everyone is gonna need to watch their reiatsu output or they'll start destroying the humans in the surrounding area."

Mashiro looked confused, "Really?"

"Hiyori's right." Shinji said, finally regaining his composure. "We're gonna need to be the heroes here. Hachi, can you do it?"

Hachi rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "It will not be easy." He said, "But yes, I believe that I can."

"Good. Rose, Lisa, you help him out as best you can. The rest of you, let's go get some payback!" Everyone nodded as Shinji leaped forward, leading the charge into the battlefield.

* * *

Aizen Sosuke let out a small chuckle. "You are going to kill me you say?" He couldn't deny that the fear emanating from the Arrancar before him was potent, but his powers had only grown since the last time he and Kurosaki Ichigo had clashed. "I find that an entertaining notion when you have no reiatsu to back up your claim."

Shiro watched the former Shinigami captain steadily. "You can posture all you want Aizen." He said calmly, "It won't change anything."

Again Aizen chuckled, "Hmm, well then. You claim that you are not Kurosaki Ichigo. If that is the case, then I vastly overestimated that boy's potential. However, you, a lowly Arrancar with no reiatsu, aren't even worth dirtying my blade with. Kaname."

Kaname Tousen suddenly appeared beside Shiro, his blade swinging in, in a strike meant to decapitate. Shiro's reaction speed made Aizen blink in surprise, as he shifted to the side, reaching up and grabbing Tousen's wrist. He then twisted his grip, causing a loud snap of bones as the wrist broke, and let loose a brutal kick to Tousen's stomach.

Tousen let out a pained cry as he fell back, clutching at his now useless hand. Shiro simply turned back to face Aizen. "Shall I continue? Or are you ready to face me yourself?" As he spoke, his head flicked to the side, allowing Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakutō to rip past him unobstructed. "I suppose that's a 'no'."

Gin stood twenty meters away, his Zanpakutō already retracted to it's original length. "Aww, I missed. You got pretty quick there kid."

"Thanks." Replied Shiro, suddenly behind the silver haired Shinigami, "But you should not compare me to Kurosaki Ichigo. That kind of mistake will cost you." The black blade of Tensa Zangetsu then cleaved into Gin's back with a spray of blood.

As Gin's body fell to the ground below, Aizen stared wide eyed at the scene that had just unfolded before him. _What... just happened?_ He quietly asked himself, _How...how can he fight like that without reiatsu?_

"Now then, Aizen." Shiro turned once again to face him, "My patience does have it's limits. Are you prepared to die?"

Aizen felt a chill roll down his spine, _I'm... afraid?_ He suddenly realized, the feeling felt so alien to him that he hadn't recognized it until just now. _I am actually afraid of this... failure of an experiment?!_ He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to steady himself. "I do not know what happened to you in Las Noches, Kurosaki Ichigo." He said as he drew his Zanpakutō, "But you are a fool if you truly think you will defeat me. Have you forgotten my power already? Shatter. Kyoka Suig-"

He never finished. Aizen's eye's widened in shock as Shiro's hand closed around the blade of his Zanpakutō. "Perhaps you didn't hear me when I told Gin this." Shiro's yellow-black eyes bore into him, "Comparing me to the late Kurosaki is a costly mistake." His grip began to tighten, until a loud _Snap_ ripped it's way across Karakura town, and Kyoka Suigetsu shattered.

Aizen stared down at the broken hilt of what had been one of the most dangerous weapons in existence, a look of pure horror etched on his features. _This... this cannot be happening..._ His thoughts were numb with fear, _Not when I was so close... How can this be? My Zanpakutō... My Kyoka Suigetsu... gone?_ His gaze slowly tracked back up to lock with Shiro's, however he found no pity there.

"Are you ready to die now?" The Arrancar's voice was even as he asked the question. "Or do you intend to continue wasting my time?"

Aizen leaped backwards, hoping to put some distance between him and this monster. As he moved, he raised his hand, "The crest of turmoil swells." He intoned, "The vessel of madness grows insolent. They boil, they deny, they become numb, they blink, and they impede slumber. The princess of iron crawls. The mud doll ceaselessly destroys itself. Unite! Revolt! And be filled with earth and know your own impotence! Hadou 90: Kurohitsugi!"

An enormous swell of black reiatsu appeared around Shiro, rising up and closing around him, forming a massive black box. At the sight of the powerful kido spell, the Shinigami and Espada who were watching the fight all felt their spines tingle from the amount of power that Aizen had just unleashed.

"Hmm." Aizen felt his heartbeat begin to return to normal. "I don't know what you became Kurosaki Ichigo. But without any reiatsu, you will not survive within the Kurohitsugi for more than a few breaths. Farewell boy."

"Advance forward." A voice echoed from the depths of the Kurohitsugi, causing Aizen it blink in surprise. "Zangetsu!" The black box exploded outwards, the shock-wave that followed leveled every building beneath it for several blocks and knocked Aizen back in the air.

Then the world went dark.

* * *

Yamamoto Genryuusai felt his hair stand on end and his muscles tighten as the Kurohitsugi shattered. He still didn't feel any reiatsu, but that only served to make him even more nervous. It suddenly seemed as if someone had thrown a shade over the sun, the light dimmed, and the sky took on a disturbing dark, blood like hue. _This is really bad._ He thought silently, once again feeling the wooden haft of his staff of office splinter beneath his tightening grip.

Coyote Stark stared wide eyed at the confrontation between Aizen-sama and the strange newcomer. He and the other Espada present had all gathered together to watch, and possibly support their lord should the need arise. However, now... "No way. No way in hell am I going up there." He said, feeling the color drain from his face as Aizen's black kido spell exploded. "Whoever that _thing_ is, it's so far out of our league it's not even funny."

"I told you." Ulquiorra's voice sounded strange as he spoke, "That 'thing' is Shiro-sama. He is the most powerful Arrancar I have ever seen."

Stark looked over to the pale skinned Cuarto Espada curiously. Ulquiorra stood with his hands in his pockets, as usual, but there was something about his stance, that made Stark pause. It was once his gaze reached Ulquiorra's eyes that he understood. _He's afraid!_ The Primera realized suddenly, _Scratch that. He's terrified! This 'Shiro-sama' actually made Ulquiorra feel genuine fear!_ He looked back towards the battle overhead with renewed interest. He had known Ulquiorra for a while, and until that moment, he had been positive that the Cuarto Espada couldn't feel _any_ emotion.

Barragan had also noticed Ulquiorra's reaction to the battle. He watched with genuine excitement boiling through him, matching the fear he felt in equal volume. _This Shiro-sama..._ He thought, his system burning with pure adrenaline, _His stance and demeanor... It really is like seeing Arturo-sama reborn! Have I finally found a being that is truly worthy of my loyalty? Someone who is actually my better?_ The very notion galled him at a fundamental level. He was the God-King of Hueco Mundo! But at the same time, he could not stop it.

Hallibel knelt beside the recovered bodies of her Fracion, her terrified gaze locked on the now blood colored sky. _This is like that captain boy's ability..._ she thought remembering her interrupted battle with Hitsugaya Toushiro. _But... on such a fundamentally different level. This... this is unlike anything I've ever seen._

Lilinette Gingerback cowered behind Stark, her small body trembling in absolute terror. She couldn't even bring herself to look at the sky, her gaze had been locked onto the building beneath her feet since the battle had begun. _What the fuck is going on here!?_ She screamed at herself silently. _There isn't even any reiatsu coming off that guy... but my legs just gave out when I first saw him... What the fuck is he?_

Several hundred yards away, the gathered members of the Gotei 13 braced themselves against the wind that suddenly picked up. Each and every one of them stared in pure shock at the battle that had unfolded so far.

Komamura Sajin felt his fur bristle, his heightened instincts telling him to run with every fiber of his being. His clenched teeth hurt as he fought a vicious battle for mastery over his own body. _Just what is that creature?_ He wondered to himself, unable to even speak.

Hitsugaya felt as though his hand would start to bleed if he clutched the hilt of his Zanpakutō any tighter. He had seen the face of the being that now fought Aizen... and that only served to terrify him more. _Kurosaki Ichigo has somehow become an Arrancar..._ He thought, his youthful features contorting in a mixture of rage and fear. _The boy that tore a swath of destruction through Soul Society when he was a ryoka. He defeated two of our strongest captains then. And that was when he barely knew how to fight at all! This is not going to end well for us._

Kyoraku held his straw hat against the wind, his eyes deadly serious as he looked up to the sky. "This is bad, Ukitake..." He said quietly to the white haired man beside him, "Yama-ji is gonna end having to use it at this rate."

Ukitake nodded, his expression grave. "If that happens..." He stopped for a moment, his thoughts growing even darker. "We cannot allow that to happen in the world of the living."

* * *

Aizen stared at the figure before him, unable to look away as the wind buffeted his face. The creature that had emerged from the Kurohitsugi was... terrifying, there was no other way to put it. At first glance, it seemed as if nothing had changed, then he realized that the black bladed katana had vanished from the Arrancar's grip.

Then he had noticed the real changes. Shiro's hands no longer ended in simple fingers, long, wickedly sharp talon-like claws instead flexed with strength and wicked purpose. His bare feet, which before had been those of a human, were now something... else. They looked like the clawed feet of some kind of dinosaur or kaiju. A set of black markings now extended out from the hole in his chest, almost like a set of tattoos. A thick lizard-like tail extended down from the back of his waist and flicked about behind him slowly. And his face was now a white skull with a black strip down either side, and a pair of horns that pointed forward.

Shiro lifted one of his clawed hands, examining it with curiosity. "Hmm..." His voice rumbled like thunder from the disturbing death-grin of the skull. "I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from my release... But this feels good." The eye's of the skull seemed to be completely black, like twin pools of darkness. They locked on Aizen, and he felt his blood turn to ice. "Now then, Aizen."

Aizen flinched, trying to leap backwards, trying desperately to put more distance between himself and the creature before him. Before he could however, pain erupted from his chest. Looking down in horror, he saw Shiro's arm, buried up to the wrist, reaching into his solar plexus. He let out a cough, flecks of blood splattering across the Arrancar's white arm.

"Oh? This is a surprise..." Shiro's voice hissed from his mask. "You somehow embedded the Hougyoku in your own body... Hmm, thank you for saving me the trouble of searching for it." He ripped his hand free of Aizen's body, a glittering blue gem held between the gore drenched tips of his claws. "I wonder if I should keep you alive to tell me exactly how to work it? No... you are too dangerous to my desires." A clawed hand closed across Aizen's wide-eyed gaze, "Farewell, Aizen Sosuke."

* * *

Aizen's scream of pain echoed across Karakura. Everyone watching felt their blood run cold as one of arguably the most powerful individuals in history shrieked in agony, his tormentor tearing his limbs off, slowly. One at a time. Piece by grisly, terrible, piece. Eventually the screams gave out, though it was clear to all present that it was due to the fact that Aizen's vocal cords had broken. He was, unfortunately, still alive.

Hirako Shinji watched with a sickening horror, as the creature dismembered the man that had been the object of his hatred for a hundred years. He could hear Love throwing up behind him, but couldn't turn his gaze away. This... creature... was butchering Aizen Sosuke in a way so brutal, that it actually made his hatred, which had sustained him for over a century, freeze in his veins.

"Wh-what... the hell...?" Hiyori sounded like she was about to puke as well. "Shinji...? What is that...thing?"

"I..." Shinji was at a loss for words. "I don't know..." He suddenly gritted his teeth, "But that son of a bitch just stole our revenge." His rage flared back to life as he spoke, forcing his fear away. "He's dead. Collapse, Sakanade."

* * *

Shiro held up the ruined remains of Aizen's body, his tail curled around the man's neck while his hands had done their grisly work of reducing the proud Shinigami to what he was now. "I hope you haven't passed out from the pain yet Aizen." He hissed, leaning in close to the man's closed eyes. "You still have body parts left."

As he spoke, he felt a sudden surge of familiar reiatsu behind him, "Hmm?" He glanced over his shoulder in time to see the masked forms of Hiyori, Love, Kensai, Mashiro, and Shinji hurtling through the air towards him, weapons ready to strike. "Well, well... Look who's here..." He turned to face them, throwing Aizen's body aside with a contemptuous flick of his tail. The ruined body fell to the earth just as Hiyori grew close enough to lunge into a screaming downward chop of her massive Zanpakutō.

Unseen to anyone in the melee that ensued, a figure darted forth from the rubble below, catching the falling body of Aizen, before vanishing back into cover.

Shiro raised his hand to brush the blow aside, but found the blade smashing down onto his opposite shoulder from behind instead. _What?_ He thought, as Kensei smashed his fist into the back of his head, snapping it forward with the force of the blow. _How are they behind me?_ As he tried to think, Mashiro and Love also barreled in, delivering their blows with as much force and anger as the previous two.

Shinji meanwhile had stopped, and held forth a Zanpakutō with a strange ring shaped hilt. It was steadily sinning around his hand as he watched the others. "I don't know who the hell you are asshole." The blonde haired Visard stated, hatred in his voice as he removed his hollow mask, "But we were waiting for over a hundred years to kill Aizen. You just pissed off the wrong group of people."

The creature with it's skull-like death grin stood motionless for a few moments, surrounded by the four Vizards who had attacked him. Then, unexpectedly, it rolled it's head back, the skull's jaws opened, and a deep, rumbling laugh echoed across the destroyed town. It rolled across the watching Shinigami and Espada like some kind of physical wave, sending chills down their spines. Shiro continued laughing for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he regained enough composure to speak.

"So... hahaha... so much about you just became so plainly clear. Hirako Shinji." The gathered Vizards all flinched in surprise at the creature's apparent familiarity with their leader. "Of course... you all were Shinigami long before you gained your Hollow masks. Could it be that Aizen was somehow responsible for that? Oh? where are Hachi, Rose and Lisa? Hmm? You can't really think that you'll be killing me with just you five."

"What the fuck?" Kensei drew his combat knife shaped Zanpakutō, "How the hell does this thing know us?"

"I'll let you wonder about that for a little while, Kensei-san." The creature turned it's disturbing, empty, black eyes on the former captain. "Meanwhile, I sugest you flee while you all still have legs to carry you. My blood is still boiling from not getting to finish off Aizen, but I'm in a good mood now. So I'll be generous and give you all a present." As he spoke, he lifted one clawed hand, and the talon-like tips began to glow a deep, blood colored red.

Love was the first of the Vizards to realize what was about to happen, "GET BACK!" He screamed, physically kicking Hiyori and Kensei away from the Arrancar. "Mashiro! Get-"

"Getsuga Tenshou." The talons created a terrible slicing arc through the air as Shiro brought them down in a slash across Love's chest. The massive wave of red-tinged black that then erupted from them cut through his body with sickening ease. The Vizards watched in horror as their friend fell, lifeless from the air, his head and right shoulder landing several yards away from the rest of his corpse.

"LOVE!" Kensei couldn't believe what he'd just seen. Rage coursed through his frame as he re-summoned his mask. "SON OF A BITCH!"

His move to attack suddenly halted as the clawed hand closed around his throat. "Spare me Kensei-san." Shiro's physical might bore down on the well built Vizard as he slowly crushed the man's neck. "Aikawa Love sacrificed himself so that the rest of you wouldn't be caught in my attack. You should thank him."

Hiyori shrieked as she tried slamming her Zanpakutō into Shiro's back over and over again. Each time she struck however, his tail casually flicked out, knocking the strike aside, and enraging her even further. Mashiro lunged forward with a series of brutal kicks to Shiro's arm, struggling to free her friend. Shinji meanwhile stared dumbstruck at where Love had stood just moments before.

Shiro smiled to himself, feeling Kensei's struggles begin to weaken in his grip. However a sudden surge of reiatsu forced him to look down, just in time. "REDUCE ALL CREATION TO ASHES! RYUUJIN JAKKA!" The mighty form of Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryusai lunged at him, his blazing Zanpakutō stabbing straight for the center of his back.

Shiro rolled backwards, vanishing with a sonido as he did, and reappearing several yards away. Looking down, he saw that he no longer held Kensei in his claws, the Vizard instead leaned against the form of Kyoraku Shunsui, gasping for breath. Shiro looked back to Yamamoto, "Hmm... This could be interesting."

"Foul beast." Yamamoto raised his sword, pointing it at Shiro's chest, "I know not who you are. But you are clearly too dangerous to allow to live."

Shiro considered the old man before him carefully. He could easilly sense the Shinigami's unbelievable reiatsu, and the memories of Kurosaki Ichigo warned him not to underestimate the Commander. After a few moments, he chuckled. "Sorry, Ji-san," The Commander's expression twitched darkly at the familiarity with which he was addressed, "But I have other matters to attend to. Now that Aizen is dead, I have no reason to stay here." He then vanished, reappearing down before the four Espada.

Yamamoto couldn't believe the creature's gall. "You think that you will escape me?!" He lunged down after the Arrancar, readying his blade to incinerate all of the Espada along with it if need be.

Shiro turned to face the oncoming Shinigami, and began charging a Cero between his horns. The attack that he unleashed was unlike anything the commander had ever seen a hollow produce in all his millennia long life. The blast seemed to eclipse everything, and he was forced to be grateful that it was aimed upwards. He was just about to dodge when he realized that the others behind him would not be able to move nearly fast enough, even his favored pupil Shunsui.

Uttering a violent curse, Yamamoto unleashed the largest blast of fire that he could muster from Ryuujin Jakka, using it as a shield against the oncoming Cero. The explosion that followed was utterly cataclysmic. It vaporized everything within several thousand yards, and threw smoke and debris in all directions for miles.

Shiro appeared on the edge of the massive crater that the explosion had created, the Espada all landing behind him. He gazed into the smoke, searching for any sign of the Shinigami, hoping that they had survived, if only so he could enjoy battles with them in the future. His hopes were soon rewarded, as he sensed the reiatsu of close to two dozen individuals, gathered behind an impressively powerful barrier.

Satisfied, he turned to the Espada, Stark and Lilinette stared wide-eyed at him, clearly worried of what he would do, Barragan considered him with a narrowed eye, Hallibel and Ulquiorra stood a bit further away, the unconscious bodies of the female's Fracion lying between them. He glanced at the Fracion, "Did you carry all three of them yourself?" He asked Hallibel.

"N-no... Stark helped a bit." She was clearly nervous as she answered, "I wasn't about to leave them behind to die."

Shiro simply nodded, clearly satisfied with the answer. "Good. Your conviction is impressive." There was an unexpected warmth to his voice as he spoke, one that caught the gathered Espada off guard. "You all are strong, I can sense it. Good, you'll serve me well."

"Excuse me?!" Barragan couldn't stop himself, his pride overwhelming his caution. "What makes you think that any of us will serve _you_?" He raised his large dual bladed axe.

Shiro considered the old man for a moment, silent and unmoving. Then suddenly Barragan felt his blood run cold, and his body began to tremble uncontrollably as pure, undiluted fear thundered through him. "You'll serve me, Espada. Because you cannot hope to kill me, and because just my focusing a bit of reiatsu on you has this kind of reaction." The statement caught all present except one off guard. "Would you like to see what happens when I direct my full power at you?"

Barragan fell gasping to his knees, his axe landing beside him with a clatter. As he did, Ulquiorra stepped forward. "They do not understand, Shiro-sama. To us, it feels as if you have no reiatsu." His voice was measured and respectful, but his eyes still held a twinge of genuine terror.

"Hmph." Shiro turned away from Barragan, the Espada gasped as though he had just swam to the surface of an ocean. "I suppose I need to work on controlling my output in the future then." He turned to Stark, "I suppose you have no objections to serving me?" Stark and Lilinette both shook their heads vigorously. "Good." then it's time to go. Ulquiorra, help her carry the bodies of her allies."

Ulquiorra nodded passively, turning and picking up the body of an amazonian looking woman with thick brown hair. Hallibel blinked in surprise at the order, but quickly nodded her thanks, taking up the unconscious form of a long haired girl, while Stark hefted up the third, short haired girl. Barragan had recovered enough to claim his axe before following the other Espada into the air behind their new leader.

As they rose, the smoke from the crater finally began to clear. The Shinigami stood, swords drawn watching the ascending Arrancar. The Vizard, including Hachi, Rose and Lisa, were gathered around the body of Aikawa Love, Lisa was shrieking as she clutched at him almost looking like she was trying to put him back together somehow. Yamamoto Genryuusai had his gaze locked on Shiro, his eyes burning with pure rage.

"Hear me now Shinigami of Soul Society, for this will be your only warning!" Shiro roared out as he stopped rising in the air. His voice thundering clearly across the devastated battleground. "I am Shiro, the Hollow King! And as of this moment, Hueco Mundo is MINE! Any Shinigami found in Hueco Mundo from this day forth, will suffer the same fate of Aikawa Love." As he spoke, his mask began to break away, his released form sealing itself back into the form of the black katana that reformed in his hand. His claws shrank back down into regular nails, and his tail withered away until it was gone. "Do not take my words as a polite suggestion." He said, his yellow black eyes glaring down at them.

As the creature's mask broke away, the gathered Shinigami all saw the face beneath. "W-wait..." Kyoraku said quietly, "Isn't... that...?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo?" Yamamoto felt his grip on Ryuujin Jakka falter.

"ICHIGO!?" Shinji roared in betrayed horror. "Y-you... killed..."

Shiro's eyes locked with the blonde haired Vizard. "Kurosaki Ichigo is dead." He said, a tone of finality in his voice. "Any Shinigami who come to Hueco Mundo shall suffer the same fate."

With that, he nodded to Ulquiorra, who turned and opened a large Garganta. The Espada stepped through it, walking quietly into the darkness within, their minds each filled with their own thoughts on the revelation of their new lord's identity. As Shiro stepped into the Garganta, a shout caused him to pause.

"ICHIGO!" Shiro turned back to see Hiyori between him and the rest of the Shinigami, struggling to get free of Captain Komamura's restraining grip, tears of pure rage falling from her eyes. "I swear to god Ichigo. I AM GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU! YOU HEAR ME YOU SON OF A BITCH!?"

Shiro said nothing as the Garganta closed around him. He simply continued watching the struggling Vizard, a look of mild boredom on his face, until finally he was gone.

* * *

Hiyori continued raging in Komamura's arms for several minutes, screaming her rage and grief to the heavens. Her Zanpakutō fell from her grasp, landing in the blackened dirt below, and still the diminutive girl shrieked and thrashed. The massive humanoid fox simply stood there, holding her back, keeping her from hurting herself or anyone else. his eyes filled with an unbearable sadness.

Everyone present was in similar states of shock. Ichigo had been a friend to many of them, and all had been so sure that he would survive his battles in Hueco Mundo. But now... the reality of the situation was impossible for them to grasp.

Lisa hadn't even seemed to hear the revelation of Ichigo's fate, so consumed by her desperate attempts to undo Love's fate. Rose knelt beside her, his hand on her back, and his eyes squeezed so tightly shut that it looked like he were trying to burn the image from his mind. Kensei stood, his expression one of shocked horror, Mashiro buried her head into his shoulder and cried, beating her small fists against his chest and arms. Hachi sat cross legged, his gaze cast down, his hands clutching at his head, but a look of pure rage burning in his eyes. Shinji knelt opposite Lisa and Rose, his eyes glazed over, the look of a dead man on his face.

The Shinigami all watched the grieving Vizards, the reality of what Ichigo had done finally beginning to set in. Kyoraku just stared ahead, his expression a potent mix of shock and horror. Ukitake felt his knees give out as his body was wracked with a fit of coughs. Hitsugaya sat down heavily, suddenly looking very much like a frightened child. Soi Fong felt the strength in her arms and legs give out as she realized that someone would have to tell Yoruichi-dono, the very thought of her mentor's reaction tore the stealth corps leader's heart apart. Of the present lieutenants, very few of them were still conscious, but those that were all bore similar expressions of horror.

Only one man kept his composure steady in the wake of the tragedy that they had just experienced. Yamamoto Genryuusai put all of his considerable discipline towards maintaining an outward level of calm, despite the boiling rage he felt coursing through his blood. "Captains." He said, his voice dangerous, just slightly betraying his true thoughts. "Gather the wounded, and return to Soul Society. There is much to discuss." He turned to the Vizards, "Ushōda Hatchigen." The large man looked up at his name, his eyes burning. "In light of your companion, Former Captain Aikawa Love's brave attempt to save his allies lives, at the cost of his own... You and your allies may recover within the Seiretei. It would seem that we currently share a common foe."

Hachi could not summon the ability to speak. He simply nodded, rose to stand, and lifted Shinji's dazed form from the ground.

"What... what about Love?" Rose asked weakly, still staring at the body of his old friend in disbelief. "I won't just leave him here."

Kyroaku approached slowly, "We'll see too it that he's buried with honor." Looking to the commander, he continued, "It's the least we can do after... everything that's happened." Yamamoto simply nodded, before turning and opening the Senkaimon and leading the way silently back to Soul Society.

As the Senkaimon closed, the enchantments holding the Real Karakura town within Soul Society finally collapsed, returning the town back to the realm of the Living, and moving a massive crater to the Soul Society.

* * *

 **Oh my god the character death is real. Didn't actually expect to kill anyone off as I was writing this, but then Love just kinda... died.**

 **For those of you who are feeling a little let down by Shiro vs Aizen, I know. But worry not, that particular battle isn't over yet. I like to follow the Game of Thrones mentality to character death. "If you didn't _actually_ see them die, then they are not dead until _proven_ so."**

 **Anyways, thank you all SO much for your amazing support of this project. It means all the world to me knowing that you all are enjoying what I write, even when it's as dark as this.**

 **Anyways, that's all for this chapter. Next time, we shall slow down the insanity just a bit and let those poor Shinigami catch their breath. (insert maniacal laughter here.)**


	4. Chapter 4

Five days had passed since the battle for Karakura town had come to its terrible conclusion.

The Captains of the Gotie 13 stood silently in the large meeting hall in the heart of Seireitei. Also present were the Lieutenents who had recovered from their injuries, the remaining Vizard, along with Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi, and one other man. That man was currently letting loose the most impressive string of curses any of the Shinigami had ever heard.

"This is _YOUR fault_ Urahara!" Kurosaki Isshin roared, causing the shopkeeper to flinch, "YOU'RE the one who helped my son go on a fucking _suicide mission_ to fucking HUECO MUNDO!" Isshin had been disarmed almost five minutes earlier, and everyone present was now extremely glad for that small fact. This however did not deter him from siezing Urahara by the throat with his bare hand and hauling him off the ground. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't crush your neck right now..."

A hand came to rest on Isshin's arm, gently pushing it back down. "That's enough... Please Isshin-san." Yoruichi couldn't bring herself to meet the man's eyes, but her voice was more grief filled than Isshin had expected. "If it's anyone's fault... it's mine. I should have trained him better... made him stronger before he left. I'm the one who taught him how to fight, and I let him down."

"Enough." Commander Yamamoto's voice cut through the hall. "Shiba Isshin, control your anger. We are all grieved by the loss of your son. He was a powerful ally, and a good friend to many among the Gotei 13. But the fact remains: The man who was Kurosaki Ichigo in life, is now in death, one of the greatest threats that Soul Society has ever faced."

Isshin let out another violent curse. However, he finally let go of Urahara, lowering his eyes and returning to his space, however the look of anguished rage did not leave his face. Urahara said nothing, his own expression was oddly blank, but his hands were clenched tightly closed, and small drops of blood fell from both of them. Yoruichi returned to her space beside the shopkeeper, her look of self guilt more pronounced than ever.

Yamamoto watched the three of them silently for a time, then, "It does not matter, at this moment, who is 'at fault'. That can be determined once the battle is over. For now, we must focus on what can be done about the situation."

"Tch, just let me at him." Zaraki Kenpachi snorted, "I'll carve him to pieces."

Unohana stepped forward, "Have you forgotten what I said in Hueco Mundo Zaraki? You cannot beat him."

"And I think you were just spoutin' bullshit. There ain't a person in the world that can't be killed if you stab them enough."

"You were not above Karakura," Komamura spoke up, "You did not witness what that monster was truly capable of."

"Perhaps not," Nodded Unohana, "However we do have the testimonies of Kuchiki Rukia, Abarai Renji, Sado Yasutora, and Ishida Uryuu. All of them witnessed Shiro in battle, and all of them agree that had Zaraki Kenpachi fought, he would have died."

"What about Inoue Orihime?" Asked Ukitake, "What about her testimony?"

Unohana's gaze grew sad, "Inoue Orihime has not said a word." She said, remembering the terrified, dead look in the poor girl's eyes. "According to Ishida-san, She has been completely unresponsive since her encounter with Shiro."

"Personally, I find this Shiro creature fascinating." Kurotsuchi Mayuri was the only one present who's expression was not darkened by sadness, anger, or grief. He was grinning from ear to ear, like a child who had just been given a new toy to play with. "So many questions, and so few answers... So much to learn from his existence. I can't wait to dissect him once he's dead."

Isshin snapped once again, blurring across the room and laying the scientist out along the floor with a brutal punch. "That's my _son_ you're talking about you little shit." Mayuri glared up at him venomously, "You talk like that in front of me again, and I will kill you."

"Oh?" Mayuri sneered, rising once again to his feet, "Feeling sympathetic for a hollow are you Shiba?" The two men glared at each other, "Would it help matters at all if I tiptoed cautiously about the subject? Would it expedite the situation if I showed false remorse for the death of a boy who did not know his own strength and got himself killed because of it?"

Isshin let loose a roar of fury, moving to strike again. However, a flash of movement had Kyoraku and Soi Fong both placing themselves between the two men. "Isshin-san, please... We need all of our captains alive in order to deal with this situation."

Soi Fong meanwhile glared at Kurotsuchi, "And you. Have a bit of respect for the dead. And for those left behind. Antagonizing Isshin-san is not going to help matters."

Mayuri simply snorted derisively, but he let the matter drop. Isshin was quietly led back to his spot by Kyoraku. As he walked, the thought that had plagued him since he had first learned of Ichigo's death once again floated through his mind, destroying his ability to think as it went. _Oh god... What am I going to tell Karin and Yuzu?_ He felt his knees begin to give out slightly, _They adored Ichigo... Yuzu... this is going to utterly destroy her... How can I ever face my daughters again?_

Yamamoto once again watched the confrontation silently, finally he spoke. "It is obvious that we will achieve nothing just standing here. All of you are dismissed. Urahara Kisuke, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, you are to examine the remains of the battlefield, and the remains of the giant Arrancar that was brought back from Hueco Mundo. Discern any information you can about Shiro, and inform us at the next meeting. The rest of you, it is clear that Shiro is extremely powerful. All squads are to begin intensive training immediately. I want the Gotei 13 back to full combat readiness as soon as possible. We do not know Shiro's intentions, and I will not allow us to be caught unprepared."

The gathered captains all nodded, and began to disperse to their tasks. All except one. Yamamoto considered the lone figure for a time before speaking, "You do not need to be here Shiba-san. You should return to the world of the living and be with your family."

Isshin stood silently, his gaze cast down. Eventually he said, "No... Ichigo is my son. I have a responsibility to him as well." The pain in his voice was potent enough to make the venerable old Commander flinch in sympathy. "However," Isshin looked up, meeting Yamamoto's eyes for the first time since he had arrived in Soul Society, "If I am going to fight, I need to ensure that my daughters are safe."

"I shall assign several Shinigami to watch your home at all times."

Isshin shook his head. "No." His eyes suddenly burned with a fire that Yamamoto had not expected. "They won't be safe in Karakura. Not if Shiro really does have my son's memories, and decides to attack them for some reason. I want to bring them to Soul Society, where I can watch over them."

"Hmm?" Yamamoto considered the request quietly for a time. "Does this mean you intend to take up the Shiba name once again? Do you intend to revive the noble house?"

"If that's what it takes to see my family safe, then yes." Isshin's resolve seemed to radiate from him like a fire. The Commander felt himself smile slightly.

"Very well. Make the arrangements. I shall order the reconstruction of the Shiba mansion."

Isshin nodded, and turned to leave. As he walked through the streets of Seireitei quietly, he tried to think about what he would say to his daughters. A small cough broke through his thoughts attracting his attention. Looking up, he found himself looking at Kuchiki Rukia, a strangely shocked look on her face. "Oh..." He tried to bring himself to smile, "Rukia-chan, you look well."

Rukia didn't know what she could say, the man before her was so completely different from the buffoon she had met during her time working with Ichigo. Coupled with the loss the man had just suffered... "I..." She tried desperately to think of something.

"I hear that my nephew was the one who trained you."

That brought her up short. "Eh?" She blinked up at him confused.

He nodded, "My nephew, Kaien. He's the one that trained you isn't he?"

The seconds stretched out into what felt like an eternity. _K-kaien-dono's...uncle?_ Rukia could only stare dumbstruck at the man. _That means that...!_ "D-does that mean that... Ichigo was Kaien's cousin?!"

He nodded again. "Mmhm. You can't say that you never noticed the family resemblance. I could see it in your eyes at meal times every now and then. Ichigo got his hair color from his mother, god rest her beautiful soul. But the hair _style_ , was one hundred percent Shiba." His smile seemed more genuine now, more heartfelt. He gestured for her to follow as he started walking again. "I suppose that I never did get to properly thank you for saving my family that night." He nodded down to her as she fell into step beside him, "If you hadn't been there, I would have had to bury all of my children. So..." He stopped, and turned to her, bowing low. "Thank you, Kuchiki Rukia, for all that you did for my family."

"Oh... no, no... It's entirely my pleasure." Rukia suddenly burst into a string of embarrassed mumbling. "But... if you don't mind my asking... why did you not slay the hollow that night yourself? You clearly possess the strength too."

His smile faltered a little, and he turned to continue walking, Rukia hurrying to catch back up. "My powers were... sealed away twenty years ago." He said as they traveled through the Seireitei. "The details of why are rather personal, and I'd rather not discuss them."

Rukia felt her heart stop for a moment. "I-I'm sorry sir. Please forgive my presumptuousness."

"It's alright, Rukia-chan. You had no way of knowing. I'm sorry for snapping a bit there. Anyways, I'm actually on my way to go find that useless bastard Kisuke. I need him to do me a favor, and I'm really not looking forward to talking to him right now."

"Why not?"

"Because I nearly killed him in the Captain's meeting." Rukia blinked in shock at the rage that suddenly flowed off of the man, "I blamed him for my son's death, and nearly ripped his head off. Yoruichi-san's really the only reason that he's not a corpse right now." Rukia felt herself slowly shift away from the larger man, until she was confident that she was out of his immediate reach. The move did not go unnoticed, as Isshin sighed, "I... would apreciate it if you accompanied me, Rukia-chan. It'd help to have someone there to remind me of happier times while I talk to him."

Rukia nodded immediately. "Of course sir. I'd be happy to."

Isshin sighed once again, a small, sad smile on his face. "Thank you, Rukia-chan."

* * *

Ishida Uryuu sat on a cot in the Gotei 13 Fourth Squad medical center, staring down at his ruined left arm. Without Inoue-san's ability, the Shinigami doctors had only been able to do so much. He swore violently to himself. _That bastard of a father warned me... Tried to warn me not to get involved in a Shinigami matter. Now look at me..._

He slowly rose to walk across the hall, pausing in the doorway. "H-hello Inoue-san." His voice was quiet, "How are you feeling today?"

She said nothing. Of course, he'd have been surprised if she actually had replied. She sat in the bed, curtains draw across the window, the only light in the room coming from the doorway in which the Quincy stood. Her dead, glassy eyes stared down at her hands, and her expression was that of a ghost. A small meal sat untouched on the small table beside her.

"I..." Ishida tried to speak, tried to assure her that everything would be ok, to comfort her in some way. But her blank, broken, dead expression stopped him. _Damn you... Kurosaki._ He thought quietly, _Damn you for doing this to her._

He quietly sat down on a chair beside the bed, remembering the vivid, brilliant girl who had once been so full of life and energy. He knew now, that she had been the true soul of their group of companions. During their quest to save Rukia's life, it had been Inoue's constant optimism and cheer that had brightened the darkest of moments for them. "Come back to us... please... Inoue-san." He felt tears begin to gather in his eyes. "Please..."

* * *

Kensei unleashed a brutal series of strikes at the target dummy, trying to vent his anger and frustration. _Shit._ He thought violently. _Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit. SHIT!_ He attacked with everything he could muster, vaporizing the dummy and part of the wall behind it.

He still couldn't believe it. Love was dead... Killed by _Ichigo_ of all people! How could he have let it happen? His mind constantly replayed that sickening moment, over, and over again trying to figure out what he could have done differently. Anything he could have done to save Love's life.

The rest of the Vizards were taking the loss just as badly, he knew. But he had been the strongest of the four that were there, it was his fault that Love was dead. His mind then turned to the others, Lisa had literally screamed and shrieked until she had passed out. Hiyori had reacted similarly to himself, she had been violently destroying anything that came within reach for days. Hachi... Hachi looked like something inside him had broken. The large man, once so jovial and kind, and friendly, now seemed dark, like some kind of beast that could barely contain the violence in it's soul.

Shinji had taken it possibly the hardest. He hadn't spoken, hadn't slept and hadn't eaten anything since the battle. _A lot like that Inoue girl..._ Kensei realized. _Shinji was riding his hopes on Ichigo. He saw the kid as... I don't know... some kind of redemption for us. And now... Now that hope has turned into pure despair._

Mashiro and Rose were taking it the 'best' to be sure. Mashiro just refused to accept the truth, stating that Love was just taking a rest, and he'd be back. While Rose had been stoically silent, but had quietly been trying to keep everyone together as best he could.

"Shit." The short haired Vizard swore again, grabbing another target dummy. "That bastard had better pray to god while he can. Because I'm going to drag his ass out of Hueco Mundo and cut his fucking head off."

* * *

"Hmm?" Urahara Kisuke looked up as the two figues approached, his expression darkening as he recognized Isshin. "Here to threaten to kill me again Isshin-san?"

Isshin shook his head. "No..." He sounded as though he were struggling to find the right words to use. Finally, he closed his eyes and took a very deep breath, "I... Look, you're only going to hear me say this once. So listen close Urahara. I'm sorry." Kisuke blinked in surprise, "It's not your fault my son is dead. As much as I wish that I could blame someone... I can't. There were too many factors. Your and Yoruichi-san's encouragement, Aizen's schemes, My son's own head-strong stubbornness."

Kisuke walked over to the man and set his hand of his shoulder. "I understand, Isshin-san. And I understand why you blamed me. I am truly sorry that I didn't prepare him better."

The two men stood, eye to eye, a mutual understanding passing between them. Rukia stood a small distance away, unused to seeing either of these men so serious. Finally Isshin spoke again. "I actually need your help with something, Kisuke."

The shopkeeper nodded. "You want to bring your daughters here to Soul Society." Rukia's eyes widened in shock at the statement, and even further when Isshin nodded.

"They aren't safe in the World of the Living, and I can't just put down my sword if my son is involved. I've received permission from Yamamoto-dono, and I intend to take up my old name again."

Even Kisuke blinked in surprise at that. "So... The Noble house of Shiba will return eh?" Isshin nodded. "I understand. I'll get to work making a gate for them to come through. Bring them to my shop in two days."

Isshin nodded again. "Thank you Kisuke. You've been a good friend to our family... for a long time." He turned, "Just watch your back around that Mayuri punk. I don't think he likes having you around again." He walked away, nodding to Rukia as he passed her. "Thanks for being my support there, Rukia-chan." He smiled, leaving her looking slightly stunned.

* * *

The next day, Isshin pushed open the front door of the Kurosaki clinic, still not sure what he was going to say to the girls. Walking into the main room, he found a plate of plastic-wrapped food with a small note attached to it. _You need to eat if you want to save lives dad._ There was a small little heart drawn beside the words in Yuzu's handwriting.

He smiled warmly,"How long did she leave this out for me?" He asked himself quietly.

"She made a fresh plate every night." A stern voice suddenly sounded behind him. Isshin felt himself flinch at the accusatory note in the words and turned to see Karin glaring at him from the door. "And where the hell have _you_ been all week old man?"

Isshin felt himself start to sweat, suddenly desperately wishing that he were facing down a rampaging hollow instead of his daughter. "Ah... well, y'see... uh... I..."

"Oh! Welcome home dad!" The bubbly, smiling face of Yuzu suddenly poked around the door frame behind her sister. "Did you need to go consult at a hospital or something?"

"Umm..." He finally sighed. "Come here, Yuzu, Karin." He said, making his decision. "I need to tell you two some things." He sat down at the dining table.

Karin's expression darkened, as if she could sense that something was wrong. Yuzu blinked in curiosity, wondering why her father sounded so serious all of a sudden, but said nothing beyond that.

As the two sat across from him, Isshin looked to his elder daughter. "Karin, I know you can see ghosts." The girl nodded hesitantly, "And you are a lot smarter than most girls your age, so I know you've seen your brother."

Karin's eyes widened at his statement. _He knows?!_ She couldn't believe it. Her buffoon of a father, knew about Ichigo being a Shinigami? It was impossible.

Yuzu meanwhile looked between them, her expression growing very confused. "What do you mean dad? Why would Karin not see Ichi-nii if she couldn't see ghosts? He's not dead."

Isshin felt his heart stop. He must have shown some kind of reaction as well, because he saw the color drain from Karin's face. "What happened dad?" She asked, her voice deadly serious. "What happened to him?"

"I... I can't say, for now... But, there's somewhere that we need to go. I promise that I'll explain everything once we're there." His expression was utterly heartbroken as he rose and began to make his way upstairs. "I need both of you to pack some things, clothes, toothbrushes, whatever you think you may need. But not too much. There will be stuff where we're going, and you may not be able to bring every thing. And no, don't ask where we're going," He said, cutting Karin off as she was about to speak, "I promise you that you wouldn't believe me if I told you. It's better that you see it for yourself."

"How much time do we have to pack?" Yuzu asked cheerfully, already making a list of things she'd need, while wondering gleefully where they were going.

"We leave tomorrow." He said, making his way up the stairs and closing the door to his room.

Yuzu quickly went about packing her and her sisters clothes for the trip. "How long do you think we'll be gone for Karin? Think we should call the school and ask them to send our homework with us? Karin?"

The brown haired girl peeked out into the hall, noticing her sister in front of their father's room. As she approached, Karin put a finger to her mouth in a 'shushing' motion and gestured to the door.

Echoing from the room, the two girls could hear the sound of their father crying.

* * *

The next morning, Isshin led the girls down a strange alleyway in Karakura town. He had recovered his composure enough to smile as he walked with them, carrying his bag and chatting idly with Yuzu. Eventually Karin realized that she knew the alley that they were in.

"Hey, wait a minute." She said, catching the other two's attention. "This is the way to that sketchy candy shop isn't it?"

Isshin paused, looking back to his daughter. "Hmm... I suppose Kisuke does sell candies as well. But he's actually an old acquaintance of mine. We're going to his place, because it's the first stop on our trip." He gave her a smile, "Just try to trust me on this one Karin. Kisuke may be as shady as they come when it comes to businessmen, but he's the person to see for this particular situation."

"That's so hurtful Isshin-san." Urahara Kisuke approached from further down the alley. "I'm just a humble shopkeeper, there's no need to insult my business practices like that." He snapped open his fan, raising it up just before his nose. "And these must be your lovely daughters. How do you do? How do you do?"

Yuzu grinned widely at him, smiling and bowing in greeting. "How do you do sir. I'm Yuzu. I've bought a few things from your shop from time to time."

"Oh, thank you very much for your patronage." Kisuke acted every bit the 'eccentric shop owner', but Karin could see that there was something very different beneath the surface.

Putting her suspicions aside, she bowed slightly in greeting as well, "I'm Karin." She said tersely, "Nice to meet you, I guess."

"Hmm, you take after your brother I see." There was a smile on the shopkeeper's face, but Karin noticed the sadness in his eyes. "That's good."

"You know our brother Urahara-san?" Yuzu asked.

"Oh yes, he's been a most faithful customer of mine for some time now."

"Kisuke." Isshin interrupted the other man, "If it's all the same, I'd like to get on with it. It's going to be tough enough explaining everything to them as it is." That caught Karin's attention.

"Hmm? You mean you didn't tell them?"

"This particular revelation isn't something that you can just causally bring up over dinner. I decided to just show them rather than sound like a crazy person."

As the two of them talked, Yuzu's expression grew more and more confused, while Karin seemed to be getting angry. Kisuke noticed the black haired girl's expression and chuckled, "Heh, it really is like seeing a younger, female Ichigo. Vary well. Follow me my friends."

Kisuke led the family through to the back of his shop, which confused the girls, then he reached down and opened up a trap door, which for Karin, was the last straw. "Oh for crying out loud!" She suddenly shouted, "Would one of you idiot's just tell us what's going on!?"

"Karin." She felt her father's hand on her shoulder, "Just trust me." She looked up, finding Isshin's steady gaze staring back at her. Something in those eyes quieted her, made her wonder just what was _really_ going on. At her silent nod, he turned to Kisuke, "I'll head down first."

Isshin climbed down through the trapdoor, using the ladder to move swiftly down. Kisuke gestured for the girls to go next, before following them in. Karin's eyes went wide with shock when she saw where the ladder led.

"WOAH!" Yuzu shouted, her voice filled with the glee of a child that had just received a beautiful gift. "This is amazing! There's a space like this under that store?"

Kisuke grinned widely, "Oh, it's so nice when someone actually has a proper reaction to my little training ground. Thank you miss Yuzu-chan. And miss Karin-chan, I can see the look of wonder in your eyes, but you are indeed like your brother. He had about the same reaction as you when he first saw this place."

Karin's eyes narrowed suspiciously at his statement. "Does that mean that you know about what Ichi-nii is? That he's a Shinigami? Is that what this place really is?" She turned an accusatory glare on her father then, "And YOU. What kind of connection do you have to this whole business? EH?!"

Rather than cringing away as he normally did when Karin got angry with him, Isshin simply stood there, his gaze level, and his demeanor completely different from his usual. Karin and Yuzu both blinked in surprise at the sudden shift in their father. Taking a deep breath, he turned to them. "You really are a sharp kid, Karin." He said with a small smile as he changed. Before their eyes, the man who both had known their whole lives as a fool, a buffoon, and a loud-mouthed child in the body of a man, seemed to transform. His clothes turned into a black kimono, a katana hung at his waist, and a white haori jacket was slung over one shoulder. "Yeah." He said, "I'm a Shinigami."

Isshin spent the next hour and a half telling the girls about the Soul Society, Shinigami, Hollows, and Hueco Mundo. As his tale came to an end, he said, "The Soul Society needs my help killing an extremely powerful hollow. So I'm returning there until the situation has been resolved. However, this is also a personal matter, it's no longer safe for my family in the world of the living. So, I'm taking you two with me."

"But what about Ichi-nii?" Yuzu asked, "If we're gone, what will he think when he get's home...?" The young girl then saw her father's eyes, and she felt her heart break. "No... no you aren't saying that..."

Karin felt as if the world had suddenly fallen out from under her. "W-what are you saying...? Dad? I know Ichi-nii is a Shinigami... but why is it suddenly so dangerous that it's worth leaving home for? Especially without telling him?" _He isn't saying that..._ She thought desperately to herself, _He CAN'T be saying that... Ichi-nii is strong. He wouldn't..._

Isshin said nothing. He simply knelt and hugged his daughters as though it was his last day on earth. Yuzu screamed, beating her fist against his arm, "NO! HE CAN'T BE! HE'S NOT!" She screamed and screamed, until her voice went hoarse, and then continued to scream.

Karin simply stared dumbly ahead. Her body numb, and her mind unable to think.

Finally, Isshin spoke once more. "That's what makes this a personal matter. This hollow that I need to help kill. It..." He choked on the words, _I can't tell them that it is their brother..._ "This hollow...it killed Ichigo." Yuzu shrieked even louder, unwilling to believe what her father was saying. Karin felt her legs grow weak. "Do you two understand me? This thing took your brother from us. Because of that, I'm going to fucking butcher it."

The rage in his voice seemed to shock Karin back to her senses. "Why...?" She asked, pushing herself away from him and turning a pleading gaze on Urahara, "Why did Ichi-nii...?" Even as she asked, she felt her knees finally give out and she sunk to the ground.

Kisuke's gaze was hidden by the brim of his hat, but his expression was pained. "Kurosaki Ichigo was a remarkable young man." He said, kneeling down before the young girl, "He risked his life daily protecting this town from threats that you can only begin to imagine... One of those threats took someone precious to him. Someone that he was willing to risk everything to save. However, in saving her... he ended up sacrificing himself."

Isshin stood, carrying the still crying Yuzu up in his arms, "Come on Kisuke..." He said, walking further into the cavernous training ground. "The Old Man is gonna start to get impatient."

Kisuke nodded, his eyes still hidden. "Mmm." He stood, offering Karin a hand up. "I failed to help your brother," He said to her, his voice calm, "I swear to you, that I will do everything in my power to help you."

She looked up at him. Suddenly, he seemed so... human to her eyes. He was a flawed man, who had tried to help her brother somehow, but he had failed. _Just like Ichi-nii..._ She took his hand, feeling the surprising strength there, and rose, following her father into the desert-like training grounds.

After a time, they came to a strange stone... square, that stood upright. "We're here." Kisuke said, stepping forward. "This will allow you girls to enter the Soul Society. And this time we actually have the Gotei 13's cooperation, so unlike when your brother and his friends used this thing a year or so ago, this time you guys won't have to race for your lives."

"Just open the damn gate Kisuke..." Isshin said, adjusting his grip on Yuzu. She still cried in his arms, but her screams had died, now she simply sobbed.

Kisuke nodded, turning to the gate and placing a palm against the grey stone. "Open." He commanded, his hand glowing with a bright white light. The gate flashed blindingly, Isshin grabbed Karin's hand and stepped forward into the light, and then they were gone.

Kisuke stepped around to the front of the gate, his mind tracking back to Karin. _Her eyes..._ He thought quietly. _So very much like her brother's... perhaps all is not yet lost... time alone can tell._

* * *

Arisawa Tatsuki walked quietly through the neighborhood, her thoughts distracted. It had been weeks since she had seen any of them. _Chad... Ishida... Ichigo... Orihime... Where the hell did you all go?_

Orihime had been the first to vanish. It had been a quiet thing, but one that had shaken Tatsuki to her very core. She had rushed all over town that day, trying to find her dearest friend, because she had known, she had felt it when the girl had disappeared. It had torn at her heart, because she had known then that something was very wrong.

When she had confronted Ichigo about it... She clenched her teeth in anger at the memory. _That asshole..._ She thought. _Why the hell couldn't he just tell me what was going on?_ Ichigo had vanished the next day, along with Chad and Ishida. Tatsuki, Keigo and Mizuiro had followed the three of them to that strange shop in the alleyway, there... they had watched them jump into what looked like an abyss of darkness and disappear from the world. That had been three weeks ago.

Three days after that... something strange had happened. Like something out of a bad dream. Everyone in the town had seemingly feignted all at once, and when Tatsuki had woken up, the town was somewhere... else. She had seen the edge of the town, it led to a forest instead of more urban sprawl. Then a few hours later, she had woken up in her bed, and everything was completely normal.

 _But I know that really happened... Karakura got moved somehow..._ Now, almost a month later, nobody else seemed to remember the incident. And what disturbed her most, the Kurosaki Clinic had disappeared. About a week after Ichigo left, the family run clinic had seemingly ceased to exist. No one in town except for her and her two closest friends seemed to even remember it, and everywhere she looked, traces of the Kurosakis just vanished.

 _Did you really just abandon us? Ichigo?_ Tatsuki looked up, finding herself at the riverbank. The same one where she and Orihime had talked that night many months ago. That had been where it all started, she now knew.

As she stood there, watching the river flow by, a sudden chill flew up her spine. Whirling around, she saw two figures walking along the water's edge towards her. As they grew closer, she began to make out details about them. One of them was a woman, the other was male, they both had very long hair, both wore what looked like helmets atop their head, although one of them looked like it only covered half his head and had a long horn reaching forward from it, and the other seemed to be more of a mask than an actual helmet. And they both were dressed in a strange, white kimono-like outfit. Something about them immediately put her on edge.

 _They're not human!_ She suddenly realized with a shock. Both figures seemed to exude an aura that screamed at her senses to flee. _They're like those two in the park back then._ Her mind briefly flashed back to the incident in the park when that enormous man had nearly killed her.

The two figures were closer now. Close enough that Tatsuki could start making out details. The woman had long green hair and what looked like an odd red line tattooed horizontally across her face. At her hip was a katana in a lime green scabbard, with a tsuba guard that split at the back, forming what looked like a flower stem when viewed from the top. She wore a neutrally bored looking expression as she walked, and held herself with supreme confidence, but something about her made Tatsuki certain that she was just waiting for violence to erupt. Atop the woman's head was a mask, that looked like it was carved from bone. It looked to be in the shape of a horned skull, with a large crack down the center of it.

The man... it was his hair that caught her attention first. Long, reaching down to his waist, and bright orange. Tatsuki felt her heart stop when she saw his face. It was a pale, deathly shade of white, and there was no trace of kindness anywhere on it. His eyes were black and the irises were a bright, inhuman yellow. And most importantly, the face of Kurosaki Ichigo stared back at her.

"I-I...chi...go...?" She couldn't understand what she was seeing. Ichigo, one of her oldest friends, was walking towards her, and it was almost painfully clear that he wasn't human. "Is...is that really... you...? Ichigo?"

Ichigo stopped about ten paces from her, his black-yellow eyes boring into her. Finally he smiled thinly, and spoke. His voice was deeper than it had been, and felt like oil being poured across her body, sending even more chills down her spine. "Yo, Tatsuki. It's been a while."

* * *

 **Oh yeah. A nice low voltage chapter about people dealing with the terrifying events up till now. Or trying to deal with them.**

 **Also, haha! I bet half of you forgot that Tatsuki even existed :P**

 **Now then, I've been getting a lot of pairing requests and such. For you all, I say; please be patient. Let's let this unfold naturally. That being said, I have heard your thoughts, and I will indeed take them into consideration. (Shout out to Bree, your idea definitely got me thinking, which could prove to be a very dangerous thing :P muahahaha.)**

 **In the meantime, while I am working on these sort of... 'interim' chapters, so to speak, I'd like your guys' continued opinions. This time though, I want to hear your thoughts on fight matchups that you want to see happen. Let me know in the reviews, and I shall do my best to make your wishes a reality.**

 **As always, thank you all so much for your continued support and encouragement. It means the world to me, and tells me that I am on the right track. See you all next time.**


	5. Chapter 5

**-Three weeks ago-**

The Garganta opened under the dome of Las Noches, disgorging the four Espada and their new lord into the ruins of Aizen's former fortress. Shiro patiently closed his eyes as he descended down, feeling the flow of reiatsu in the air. _Well, well._ He thought with a smile, _It seems that the Shinigami were smart enough to take my generous offer of a head-start._

Opening his eyes, he looked about. The massive palace was a wreck, now bearing the scars of close to a dozen different, heated battles that had been fought throughout it over the past twelve hours. Turning to his Espada, he spoke, "First thing is first. I require allies, both labor to fix this place, and soldiers to fight when the time comes." A brief thought occurred to him, causing him to pause. "But before that, tell me your names, you four." He nodded to the Espada who had fought above Karakura, "I am already familiar with Ulquiorra. But the rest of you..."

"I am Tia Hallibel." The female gave a small, respectful bow. "Thank you for allowing me to rescue my Fraccion, Shiro-sama."

"I'm Barragan Ruizenbān. I look forward to seeing you prove your worth as a king." The arrogant old man grinned slightly. "If nothing else, it should prove to be entertaining."

"The name's Coyote Stark. And this is Lilinette. Sorry for how bad she's shaking, but to be fair, you are fucking terrifying." Stark's eyes were sharp and uncharacteristically focused, even as his body stood completely relaxed.

Shiro chuckled lightly, the sound utterly without any empathy. "I suppose I'll have to try to learn to control this fear that everyone seems to feel in my presence. It could be a powerful weapon, or an obnoxious hindrance in the future. For now though..." He turned, inhaled deeply and let loose a roar of such magnitude that it literally shook the whole building. Ulquiorra felt his blood run cold as he recognized the shrieking, howl of the creature that had nearly killed him atop the dome barely two hours ago.

All across Hueco Mundo, hollows lifted their heads in curiosity and fear as the roar grew more and more powerful. The halls of Las Noches acted as an echo chamber, increasing it's strength until every hollow for thousands of kilometers heard the call. Such was the power held by the roar, that many of the lesser hollows disintegrated after a few moments, those that survived felt an almost primal need, calling them to gather. Something within them knew, this was the call of a _King_.

Finally, Shiro quieted. He could sense the hollows beginning to gather, all across the deserts beneath Las Noches, they came drawn by his might. Nodding satisfied to himself, he turned back to the Espada. "Hallibel, Barragan, I trust that I can count on you two to accommodate the forces that are about to gather? At least until I decipher how to actually use this." He held up the glimmering blue jeweled form of the Hōgyoku.

Hallibel nodded, desperately trying to not let her fear show. Barragan snorted, seemingly offended by the menial task he'd been assigned, but unwilling to speak up as memory of Shiro's power over him in Karakura returned to him.

Satisfied by the lack of arguments or complaints, Shiro looked to Stark, "The Sexta Espada should still be alive out there somewhere under the dome. I'd like you and your companion here to find him and bring him to me. Also, if you see a small, child-like Arrancar with green hair and a cracked mask, bring her as well."

Lilinette looked like she was about to complain, but Stark quickly stifled her with a hand on her head. "You got it boss." He grumbled, uncharacteristically ready to help.

Ulquiorra raised an eyebrow as Stark and his Fracion vanished. _Hmm... can he actually sense it? Or is he simply unwilling to complain in front of Shiro-sama? I wonder..._

His thoughts were interrupted as Shiro turned to him, "If this palace is going to become my seat of power, I'll need to learn it's ins and outs. You are going to help me. Also, tell me everything you know about the Hōgyoku."

"Of course Shiro-sama," He bowed, gesturing for the mighty Arrancar to follow him. "Come, we have much ground to cover."

* * *

Shiro spent the next week learning every nook and cranny of the city sized, labyrinthine structure. While he explored, Hallibel and Barragan quickly set about bullying the thousands of hollows that had gathered at Shiro's call into crews, swiftly forming them into something resembling an army. He found the living chambers quickly enough, and pilfered a change of clothes, finally stripping out of the destroyed remains of his former Shinigami kimono, and replacing it with a pair of comfortable white hakkama pants, a white shirt, and a long white coat. He realized once it was on him, that the coat was very similar in appearance to the coat he'd worn as a Shinigami while using bankai. _The more things change, the more they stay the same..._ He thought to himself with a small chuckle.

Once he was satisfied of his knowledge of Las Noches, he found his way to the infirmary where Stark had deposited Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez. The blue haired Espada coughed violently upon seeing him.

"Shit." He said, lying back on his bed, snarling at his still recovering wounds, "Stark told me that it was you... but I still wasn't ready for it. And yes," He said, noticing the look in Shiro's eyes, "He told me what you are. Kurosaki Ichigo is really dead huh?" Shiro nodded. "Heh. Useless bastard. Couldn't even wait to get killed by me."

"Are you going to be a hindrance to me Grimmjow?" Shiro's hand fell to the hilt of his Zanpakutō which was slid into his sash, "Or will you follow me? The only thing that I can promise is that if you try to fight me, you will die. Badly."

Grimmjow closed his eyes, weighing his options. Eventually he sighed deeply, "Looks like the only real option is to work for you." He said, a twisted grin appearing on his face, "At least this way, if you fuck up, I'll be close enough to get at your throat."

Shiro smiled, it reminded Grimmjow of a viper just before it struck, causing his blood to run cold. "That's what I like about you Grimmjow. You know Opportunity when you see it." He turned to the other side of the infirmary, "And now..." Walking up to the bed, he knelt, bringing himself to eye level with the small girl who stared up at him. "What about you, Nel?"

The child-like Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck gazed at him, a surprised expression on her face. Her two guardians and former Fracion Dondochakka and Pesche stood to either side of her bed, both clearly nervous in the presence of the Sexta Espada and the new Lord of Las Noches.

Nel's eyes glimmered as recognition as she saw Shiro's face. "Itsygo?" She asked, her light voice still mispronouncing the former Shinigami's name.

Shiro chuckled, surprised to find that he actually felt happy to see the little Arrancar again. _Hmm... So not all of Ichigo's memories and feelings are completely gone..._ He smiled at Nel, "Not... exactly. I'm afraid that the Ichigo that you knew is gone. I am Shiro. You can think of me as..."

"You're Itsygo." The little girl interrupted, "I can see it." Shiro blinked in surprise, "You've got Itsygo's face, and his eyes. Even if you do look more angry. Did something bad happen Itsygo? Is that why you look so angry?"

"No, no." He chuckled lightly, the sound causing everyone except Nel to flinch in instinctive fear. "I just realized that you were right about what you said, about Shinigami being the enemy. So I decided to not be a Shinigami anymore." He motioned to the hole in his chest.

Nel's eyes brightened in glee. "Itsygo! You became a hollow?" She leaped off the bed, colliding with him in a massive hug. "Oh that's so wonderful!"

Shiro laughed as the former Espada hung from his neck, genuinely shocked at his almost human reaction. "Yes. But it's not 'Ichigo' anymore. My name's Shiro now, do you think you can remember that?"

"Mmhm!" She dropped back down to the bed, and grinned up at him. "That's way easier to remember than Itsygo."

"Good." He rose to his full height. "I'm going to need allies, Nel. Can I count on you to help me?"

Nel's expression suddenly became extremely serious, and the glimmer in her eyes told Shiro that she had not forgotten about her experience during their battle with Nnoitra. "Definitely. Nel will do everything she can to help Shiwo."

Shiro blinked at her mispronunciation of his name, and then burst out laughing. "Hahahahaha... Ahh... the times change, but you never do Nel." He looked to the girl's guardians, "And you two?"

Pesche knelt, his voice uncharacteristically solemn as he spoke. "If Nel-sama has given you her allegiance, then ours need never be questioned, Shiro-sama." Dondochakka did his best to follow suit, but his larger form made kneeling difficult.

"Good." Shiro said again, "I am working on a way to try and return Nel to her true form. Until then, I'd like the three of you to assist Hallibel and Barragan with the logistics. We are receiving a great many hollows to rebuild the Arrancar army, and the two of them are probably at their wits end." He chuckled evilly.

"Oye Shiro-sama." Grimmjow's voice echoed from across the room, "What do you want me to do? I'm going stir crazy in this fucking bed, especially with that brat as a roommate for the last week."

Shrio turned and considered the blue haired man, "You're recovered enough to work?" At Grimmjow's nod, he smiled. "Then once you are up and dressed, get some hollows together, strong backs, and strong arms, and get them working on the repairs to the palace. It's not a glamorous job I'm afraid, but it's one that needs to get done. I want Las Noches back to full functionality as soon as possible."

Grimmjow snorted, clearly disappointed by the order, but he was also clearly desperate to leave the infirmary. He said nothing as he nodded.

* * *

Several more days passed in a blur of work and labor. The gathered hollows were mostly just instinctual creatures, and operated with the efficiency of an army of worker ants while under the direction of the Espada. Steadily, the holes that had been blasted in the palace's dome were sealed, and the towers and chambers were rebuilt.

Every now and then, Shiro would select a hollow at random, and drag it away to one of the laboratories that had survived the battles. There he would experiment with the different uses that he had discovered for the Hōgyoku, slowly rebuilding the ranks of Arrancar. Finally, he decided to test his theory on it's primary subject.

Nel stood in a small chamber, looking around curiously. Shiro set the Hōgyoku down in the small slot connected to the chamber, and touched a finger to the small jewel, feeling it's alien will touch with his mind. _Return her power. Make her whole once more._ He thought, pushing with his considerable willpower against it.

The chamber filled with a blindingly bright light, before exploding outwards in a burst of heavy reiatsu. All across Las Noches, the work crews of hollows looked up as reiatsu filled the air, even the Espada raised an eyebrow at its density.

Shiro entered the chamber, followed by Dondochakka and Pesche, the latter held a set of white robes in his arms. The chamber was filled with a white mist, and there in the center, the torn remains of her green smock covering her breasts, stood Nelliel, the former Tres Espada.

She examined her hands as she stood, clenching and unclenching them. Her expression was almost shocked as she realized that she was no longer a child. "I-I'm back..." Her voice was still a light, musical tone, but it held an edge of maturity to it now that spoke of years of combat experience. "I'm really back!"

Pesche and Dondochakka knelt before her, offering her the robes. It was clear, even below the masks they wore that they were smiling radiantly. "Welcom back, Nel-sama." Pesche said, his voice full of respect. "We have truly missed your beautiful smile."

"Pesche... Dondochakka..." Her tone was warm, as she smiled gratefully, "You two stayed with me through everything... Thank you both." Taking the robe from Pesche's extended arms, she swept it on, before bowing to Shiro. "Shiro-sama, I, Former Tres Espada, Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck, hereby swear myself to you. You have saved me countless times in the past few weeks, and so, my loyalty is yours, forever."

She gave him a radiant smile. Returning it, he stepped forward, offering her a hand. "Welcome home, Nel." He realized that he felt genuine warmth inside as he spoke, _Emotions...? Other than hatred? I had honestly forgotten what they felt like._ He smiled softly.

"Ah! That's the first real smile I've ever seen you make Shiro-sama!" Nel squealed in glee, bringing him back to the present.

"Don't get used to it." He chuckled. Turning and walking out of the chamber, he retrieved the Hōgyoku from it's slot. He was examining the small jewel when Nel came up behind him.

"So that's the Hōgyoku?" He nodded, "Wow... it's pretty. And it's what let you heal me huh?"

"I suppose... It's an incredible creation. Urahara Kisuke and Aizen Sosuke were good for something at least." He led the woman through the halls of Las Noches, hollows and Arrancar bowing as they passed. "Hmm... I wonder..."

"What are you thinking Shiro-sama?" Nel seemed to be the only being that wasn't naturally terrified of him he realized. She walked behind him and to his left, adjusting her robe as she walked, and setting the scabbard of her Zanpakutō into the belt. It felt... natural for her to be there.

"I am wondering just what limitations the Hōgyoku really has." Their path eventually brought them to the recently repaired throne room. Shiro walked casually up the steps to the large stone throne and collapsed into the waiting seat. "It seems to be capable of so much more than just creating Arrancar out of Hollows. I just wonder _how_ much more."

"Well, why don't you test it?" The voice of Grimmjow rung out across the chamber. Walking up the steps to the throne, the blue haired Espada grinned, "Let's go test the thing on something other than a Hollow." It was then that he noticed the green haired beauty standing beside the throne. "Eh? Who the fuck'r you?"

Nel's expression darkened at his apparent lack of manners. "Oh? You've forgotten your old 'roommate' so quickly?" She sneered, a sly grin spreading across her lips. "How hurtful Grimmjow- _san_."

Grimmjow snarled at the reply, realizing at last who she was, and reaching for his Zanpakutō "You cheeky b-"

"Grimmjow." Shiro's voice cut through both of their thoughts like a blade. "Don't try to fight her. I know you are strong, but you can't beat Nel." He hadn't looked up from the Hōgyoku in his hands. "What were you saying about 'testing' the Hōgyoku?"

It took Grimmjow several moments to regain his composure, glaring at Nel the whole while. Finally he took a deep breath and spoke, "If you wanna see what the thing's capable of, let's test it. Try it out on something that's not a hollow, see if it can turn _them_ into an Arrancar."

Shiro's expression was thoughtful, "You mean like a human?"

"I guess. Or you could try it on a Shinigami for shits and giggles." Grimmjow shrugged. "It's really none of my business, but it sure beats sitting around here."

"You're just trying to get out of doing work, aren't you?" Shiro chuckled, finally turning his piercing, yellow-black gaze on the Sexta Espada. Grimmjow shuffled backwards, slightly nervous. "I'm afraid that I can't let you leave the repair teams just yet. They need a strong hand to guide them, and a fierce taskmaster to keep them on point. I can't think of anyone better suited."

"Hmph. Since you put it like that, fine then, oh _fearless leader_." Grimmjow threw up a mocking salute before shoving his hands into his pockets and wandering away.

 _He likes to think that he's better than everyone..._ Shiro thought, watching him go, _But he's smart enough to know a fight he can't win when he sees it. That's good._ Looking to Nel, he continued aloud, "He has a point though. Perhaps we should test the Hōgyoku on a human."

"Then I'll accompany you on your trip to the World of the Living." Nel said, with a bright smile. "It's been years since I've really had this body back, I'm eager to get some exercise."

"Alright then. Ulquiorra, I know you're there." The pale skinned Espada stepped out from behind a pillar behind the throne, "I leave Las Noches in your care while I'm gone. Try not to let Grimmjow slack off too much."

"Of course, Shiro-sama." Ulquiorra bowed slightly, before stepping around the throne and down the stairs towards the door.

Nel meanwhile looked down at her robe, "If it's alright with you, Shiro-sama, I'd like to go put some actual clothes on for this. A robe like this isn't really the easiest to move in if a fight brakes out."

Shiro nodded, smiling as the woman vanished using Sonido. "Now then..." He said, sifting through the memories of Kurosaki Ichigo. "I have the perfect candidate." His grin would have turned the blood of any who saw it to ice.

* * *

 **-Present Day-**

Arisawa Tatsuki stared shocked as the face of Kurosaki Ichigo smiled back at her, the river drifted lazilly past them to her right. "Yo, Tatsuki. Been a while." His voice was deep, and evoked a primal fear deep within her, from the predatory smile that stretched across his features, he knew it too.

Tatsuki gulped, trying desperately to make her body respond to her the way it should. "Y-you..." She said quietly, almost seeming surprised to hear her own voice. "You're not Ichigo." She tried to make her voice as scathing and hurtful as possible.

She was terribly surprised then, when the man grinned widely, bringing his hands together in small applause. "Hah..." He said with a small huff of breath, "Finally. Someone who can take a hint. No, Tatsuki, I am not _really_ Kurosaki Ichigo. But yes, this was his body."

"Ahh..." The green haired woman sighed, draping herself across Shiro's shoulder, "Shiro-sama..." She said in a musical voice, "I'm bored... Are you sure this human is worth the time?"

"Get off of him you cow!" Tatsuki suddenly snarled, taken aback by her own fury at the sight of this other woman throwing herself across what looked like Ichigo. Even though she knew it wasn't him. Before she could speak again, Shiro's companion turned a glare on her, and she suddenly felt as though an entire ocean was pressing down on her from all directions. She collapsed to her knees, clutching at her chest, struggling to breathe.

"That's enough, Nelliel." Shiro's voice rang clearly through the haze of Nel's reiatsu. "She's no use to me if you kill her."

Nel pouted, but allowed her reiatsu to drop back to a level that was safe for a human to be near. "Fine..." She said, clearly unhappy.

Tatsuki hacked and coughed as the pressure on her chest disappeared, grateful to be able to breathe again, and staring at the two standing across from her with a new mixture of fear and hatred. "Wh-what... do you want with me?" She managed to croak out, before her eyes widened in fear.

Shiro's index finger pressed lightly against her forehead, directly between her eyes. She hadn't even seen him move! The point of contact was light, almost completely nonexistent, the tip of his finger just brushed ever so lightly against her skin. But it was enough.

Her eyes continued to widen as she felt pure, undiluted, primal terror course through her veins. The fear spread through her like some kind of wild fire, consuming all other thoughts and feelings, until her eyes rolled back into her head, and she simply collapsed. Just before she completely lost consciousness, she could hear Shiro's voice, though she couldn't tell if it was in her head of aloud, " _I want you to become my new weapon._ "

Then she knew nothing.

* * *

Nelliel watched as the girl collapsed, her eyes gone completely blank with fear. Letting out a small whistle, she stepped over to Shiro's side, "That was incredible. How did you do that too her?"

"Everyone seems to experience terror in my presence." Shiro said, before snorting out a small laugh, "Well... Everyone except you it seems." She giggled musically, "I've been experimenting with that reaction over the past few weeks, trying to figure out how to use it as a weapon. Looks like it worked perfectly." He knelt down, placing a finger against the human's neck, "She still has a pulse. That's good, the fear didn't outright kill her."

"You really want _this_ one Shiro-sama?" Nel pouted, still angry about Tatsuki's earlier insult. "I say we should just feed her to Bawabawa and find someone better."

"No." He shook his head, rising to stand once more. "Arisawa Tatsuki is the perfect choice. For a couple of reasons." His gaze suddenly flicked up towards the road, and a wicked smile appeared on his face. "Well then, time to begin." He said, raising his voice just slightly, and pulling the Hōgyoku from his pocket.

As he moved to kneel over the unconscious human once more, a figure rushed forward from the road. "Cry out! Benihime!" Urahara Kisuke swung his Zanpakutō in a cleaving ark, a blast of blood red energy whipping toward the two Arrancar.

Shiro leaped back, with Nel close behind him, landing several paces away, with Kisuke landing between them and the unconciouss Tatsuki. "Hmm? Well well... Look who's here." Shiro chuckled, "It's been a while, _Sensei_." The mockery in his tone was obvious.

Kisuke's eyes were just visible beneath his hat, and they made Nel's blood run cold. They were filled with a fury that she had never seen before, that she had never thought possible before. "You have no right to call me that, monster." His voice was low and dangerous, as he leveled Benihime once more, preparing to strike.

Shiro didn't seem to care, his Zanpakutō stayed sheathed in his sash. Chuckling, he said, "Oh come on. You can't say that you aren't thinking of old times, _sensei_." Again his tone was mocking, almost as though he wanted to goad the older Shinigami into attacking, "Although you're right I suppose. You never really did teach me much, you just tried to kill me. Now, Yoruichi-san..." He smiled lecherously, "S _he_ was a great teacher. Hot t-"

At the mention of the darker skinned woman, Kisuke's eyes flared with hatred and he lunged forward. He crossed the distance between them faster than Nel could have thought possible, his blade aimed right at the grinning Shiro's throat. But Shiro had been ready for it. As the strike closed in, he leaned backward an to the side, coming up inside of Kisuke's reach, and smashed a palm strike upwards, catching the Shinigami on the chin and knocking him away.

Kisuke landed several yards away. To his credit, he had recovered in the air, landing on his feet. His eyes were wide and hate filled as they once again took in Shiro's relaxed form, the Arrancar had even gone so far as to put his hands back into his pockets, and was smiling wickedly back at the Shinigami. "Don't you ever mention her like that again." Kisuke snarled, "Now what is your intention here?"

Shiro laughed, gesturing over to the fallen Tatsuki, "I'd have thought that was obvious to a man as intelligent as you. I am eliminating Kurosaki Ichigo's memory from this world." Nel frowned slightly at her lord's words, slightly confused, but chose to say nothing. "You wouldn't happen to know where Ichigo's family is would you? I'd just love to pay my little sisters a visit." He licked his lips as if to emphasize the point.

"Your sisters are well beyond your reach, monster." Kisuke said, moving to stand once more between Shiro and the fallen human girl. "And if you think you're going to hurt this girl, you are dearly mistaken."

"Hmm, looks like I already did hurt her." Shiro observed, just as Tatsuki's unconscious expression scrunched in fear and pain. "So I guess I win round two as well, Kisuke- _san_." He emphasized the familiarity as much as he could, laughing at the other man's grimace. "I'll tell you what, Kisuke-san. I'm feeling generous today, so how about I give you a five minute head start. You can run anywhere you want, hell, go ahead and take Tatsuki with you. I won't chase you for five whole minutes."

Kisuke tried to read into his enemy's statement. Tried to get a read on Shiro's true intention. But no matter what he did, his thoughts just continued to jump back to Yoruichi. The way that Shiro had talked about her had caused him to snap, and he couldn't stop wondering what his intentions would be if _she_ were before him instead of Kisuke. The possibilities turned the man's blood to ice.

 _Dammit..._ He thought, glancing back to the unconscious human girl, _I can't fight at full power here. Not if I also want to protect her. No choice then._ Sparing one final hate-filled glare at Shiro, he jumped back to Tatsuki, picked her up gently, and vanished away in a quick series of shunpos.

He leaped across the river and started to run as fast as he could to his shop. _She'll be safe in Soul Society._ He thought as he ran, _If I can just get her to my shop, and through the gate... The captain's can protect her. And then I can come back and cut Shiro's head from his shoulders._

When the Shinigami was gone, Nel turned to Shiro, "Why did you let him get away Shiro-sama? Now we won't be able to test the Hōgyoku on that girl." She paused at the satisfied, sadistic grin on Shiro's face. "Shiro-sama?"

"It's alright Nel. We don't need to worry, because I already did my 'test'." She blinked in surprise, "And now, Kisuke is being kind enough to deliver Tatsuki right to where I want her to be. I'll really need to remember to thank him, next time I see him." He turned, and began walking back down the riverbank the way the two of them had come.

Then the Shinigami reiatsu began to fill the air, and he began to laugh. "And now Kisuke has called in the reinforcements! Oooh, this is too perfect. He doesn't even know how flawlessly he's just been played." He turned back to Nel, "Well Nelliel my dear, it's time for us to go." He flicked at the air, causing a Garganta to open, "After you."

Nel smiled, happy to see Shiro-sama in such an uncharacteristically good mood, before nodding and stepping through the portal and into the waiting darkness. Shiro followed her in, pausing as the entrance began to close to look back at the river bank. Several captain class Shinigami were rushing towards him, Zaraki Kenpachi in the lead. He grinned as the Garganta snapped shut, just as Kenpachi had raised his blade to strike.

* * *

"So, what do we know about Shiro?" Yamamoto Genryuusai addressed the gathered captains. Isshin, Yoruichi, Kisuke, and three of the Vizards were also in attendance. "Urahara Kisuke, Kruotsuchi Mayuri, what have you discovered?"

Kisuke stepped forward first, "Given the incident yesterday afternoon, we have reason to believe that Shiro intends to destroy Kurosaki Ichigo completely. Not just his life, but also his memory." This caused several murmurs all around the room, Kisuke waited for them to calm down befor continuing. "As a precaution, I took the liberty of moving the human girl whom Shiro was about to kill here to Soul Society, so that she would be out of his immediate reach. I would also like to have Shinigami watch Kurosaki's two remaining human friends, and be ready to intervene should Shiro or one of his subordinates try to attack them." He took a deep breath, "I also believe that he is experimenting with the Hōgyoku."

That caused more than just murmurs. "Shit!" Kyoraku swore.

"If he unlocks the Hōgyoku's power, we'll have to deal with another Arrancar army!" Komamura felt his fist clench tightly, wishing that Shiro's skull was beneath it.

"I am afraid that the news only gets worse." Kurotsuchi Mayuri now stepped forward. "After examining the wreckage of the fake Karakura town, I have come to a conclusion that may... disturb you all."

Mayuri paused, almost as if uncertain how to proceed. Which was something that did not go unnoticed by the rest of those gathered. "Captain Kurotsuchi?" Yamamoto urged.

"I have come to the conclusion that our initial thoughts of the creature known as Shiro were... wrong." Mayuri said, his expression darkening, "All reports involving Shiro state that the creature has no reiatsu. This is incorrect. My investigations have led me to believe that Shiro does indeed possess reiatsu, however such is it's magnitude, and density, that it literally short-circuits a person's ability to feel it. He literally has so much power, that we are completely numbed by it's proximity." he paused, to let the revelation sink in.

The expressions across the room were a potent mixture of horrified shock. Nobody, not even the Commander seemed willing to believe that such a phenomenon was even possible. Mayuri continued, "I have not been able to deduce how or even why his presence doesn't stop us from still sensing any other source of reiatsu as usual, but I will continue my studies. However, there is one thing I do now know, thanks to the human girl Urahara Kisuke rescued yesterday. There is a physical reaction to Shiro's overwhelming reiatsu: Fear. In every report of Shiro, all involved claimed to feel a sense of terror or dread whenever they were near him, even more-so when he focused on them. That was the individual's body and nervous system reacting to it's overwhelmed senses. Given Urahara's report of the events yesterday, it would seem that Shiro is developing this reaction into a weapon. A very potent weapon."

Yamamoto's expression was dark. "This is bad... Shiro is proving to be a very dangerous adversary." He slammed the end of his staff down against the floor, "This is a top priority order. No Shinigami below the rank of captain is to attempt to fight the Arrancar known as Shiro. We cannot risk the immense devastation that he would reap if he perfects his ability to cause fear with a touch."

The others nodded. The commander was about to speak again, when a burst of reiatsu interrupted him, and a hollow cry echoed across the Seireitei.

* * *

 **Shiro's turning out to be one twisted bastard.**

 **As some of you may have noticed, and as "Mas2009" has pointed out in the reviews, this story does indeed bear many striking similarities to the fanfiction "White" By Melkor's Mercy. The reason for this, is that "White" is a massive source of inspiration for this story. I have tried to keep my take on things as original as possible, but there may inevitably be some overlap. Melkor's Mercy is just too good of a writer.**

 **All that said, Thank you all as always for your support and reviews. See you all next time.**


	6. Chapter 6

Kuchiki Rukia sat beside her friend in the darkened infirmary room, resting her hand on Orihime's. "Everything is going well. Preperations are proceeding on schedule, and Kisuke rescued your friend Tatsuki yesterday evening." The beautiful orange haired girl didn't answer, she didn't even blink at Tatsuki's name. Rukia felt her heart sink. "Please Inoue... we need your light. We need your smile back." She felt the familiar pain grip her chest once again as she thought about the situation. "Please... don't leave us like he did..."

She struggled to bring herself back under control, choking back tears once again. She had lost count of how many times she had broken down crying in the past several weeks. Her brother had been a constant and surprisingly compassionate support for her during those times, as had Renji, Chad, and Ishida.

The Quincy had remained in Soul Society for the past three weeks, claiming that he 'Didn't trust the Shinigami to do a proper job of guarding Inoue-san'. Meanwhile, Chad had been almost unseen since his return from Hueco Mundo. The only person who knew where he constantly disappeared to most days was Yoruichi-san, who assured Rukia that he was steadily growing stronger each day. However, he always seemed to show up when the diminutive Shinigami needed a silently comforting shoulder to cry against.

However, Rukia had not let her personal feelings about the situation hold her back. She and Reiji had been training ferociously together. Rukia was desperate to get stronger, to no longer be a burden on those around her. And Renji had reacted to her feelings with a fiery passion, the two met most days, and usually trained for seemingly endless hours.

As her tears dried, she heard an odd thumping noise from the hallway behind her. Turning to look, she saw a figure silhouetted in the doorway, it's features in shadow from the light at it's back. She tried to make out any details of the figure, _She's female..._ She thought, _But she isn't wearing a Shinigami kimono._ There was... something odd about them... almost as though the air around the figure was filled with a strange haze. It was then that she noticed something on the floor of the hall behind the stranger.

It was an arm, strewn out where the body attached to it had fallen. Blood pooled beneath the fingers. Then she saw the hole in the middle of the standing figure's form. Rukia's eyes widened in shock, moving to rise, and draw her Zanpakutō. However the figure in the doorway flashed forward with incredible speed, smashing a heavy fist into her side. Rukia felt the bones in her arm, and several ribs, shatter under the blow as she was hurled to the side, crashing into the far wall and crumpling to the floor.

The last thing she saw as her vision began to go dark from the pain was the shadowed figure hunched over Inoue's bed, shaking the girl's shoulders gently. "Ori..hime..." She heard a terrified voice coming from the figure. "Ori...hime..." Then everything went black.

* * *

Everything hurt. Everything was dark. Then... _This is... Orihime!_ She could feel it. Orihime's presence. _Orihime! Orihime!_ She had to go to her... had to protect her.

She realized with a start, that she could sense others. Dozens, all around her, all of them felt violent... dangerous... _They may hurt her!_ She thought, horrified. Her eyes snapped open, the world rushing in to greet her in a blinding, painful flash of color and sensation.

Slowly, she pushed herself up, she was laid on a bed, clean white sheets covering her. Looking around she found herself in what looked like a dark hospital room, albeit one from what looked to be the 1600s or so, with what looked like modern day lights. A brief glance out the window set into the wall above the bed told her that the sun had gone down. There was no door in the entryway that led to the painfully bright hall.

It hurt her to breathe... like there was something pressing against her chest. Looking down, she realized that the pain was coming from what looked like a hole that had somehow formed where her solar plexus usually was... A hole that passed all the way through her body.

She tried to scream. Tried to cry out. But all that escaped her was a hacking cough. Then she heard the footsteps. One of the dangerous people that she could sense was coming towards her room, with a clear purpose, her mind filled with thoughts of what they were going to do to her. Would they torture her? Force her to watch as the tortured Orihime? She felt her teeth grind against each other as rage and bloodlust flooded her system, clarifying everything to a frightening degree.

Her senses sharpened, her ears could hear the approaching person's heartbeat, her nose could smell the scent of chemicals and herbs in the air, she could also taste them. Her vision seemed to clear, the darkness of the room she was in seemed to her suddenly as bright as daylight. And she felt her muscles clench, preparing to strike. As the figure entered the room, clearly focusing on the tray he carried, she lunged.

The man never even heard his death coming. By the time he realized that the patient was awake, she had already torn his throat out in a spray of arterial blood, and he collapsed to the floor, stone dead.

She looked down at the man, noting his black kimono and the katana at his waist. While the outfit seemed oddly familiar, the sight of it just made her nauseous and filled her with a fresh swell of hatred. _Orihime..._ She cast her senses out, seeking the beautiful girl. _There!_ She looked out into the hallway.

Orihime was in what felt like a second wing of the structure, whatever it was, but that didn't deter her. She darted out into the hall, flickering from corner to corner, and trying to stick to the shadows. As she moved, her mind fell back to the man she had just killed. It had been so... easy... the movement and the instinct had come so naturally to her. _Have I always been like that? Hmm? It feels easier to breathe..._ She began to feel normal once more, even though adrenaline still thundered through her, it no longer hurt to breathe, and even the hole felt... right... like it had always been there, and she had only just now noticed it.

Her observations came to a pause as she sensed another person ahead of her. Slipping behind a small cart, she peeked out, seeing another man dressed in a black kimono walking towards her. She felt her eyes narrow as hatred coursed through her once again. It seemed that the man hadn't noticed her yet.

She waited patiently as her prey came closer. _Yes... that's what these people are..._ She thought, _Prey._ The thought filled her with a sense of fulfillment, it gave her an added clarity to her world. They were prey, she was the hunter. The man walked past her hiding space, his own gaze seemed to be oddly distracted as he moved, almost as though he was dazed by something. She rose up silently behind him, closed her clawed fingers around his neck, and squeezed.

He made no sound as he died, though it was clear that he tried. His struggle was brief and frantic as he fought against the steel like grip that had taken him, then there was a satisfying snap, and he had fallen still. The tips of her claws had dug into his throat as well, which may have been why he didn't shout or cry out. They had slid into his flesh with such ease that she hadn't realized it until she let the man drop, and saw the fresh blood coating her fingers. It was oddly beautiful to her.

Turning once more towards where she sensed Orihime, she again began to walk. As she did, she looked down at her body, realizing that she too was wearing the black kimono that filled her with so much hatred. She froze, glancing about before darting into an empty room to her right. _Someone must have changed my clothes as I slept!_ She realized with a surge of anger. _I would never be caught dead in this!_ Her ears perked up as she silently raged, there was another person coming! And from the smell, she could tell that it was a man. _Perfect..._ She felt her lips curl into a smile.

Leaning up against the door frame, she pulled her arm across the hole in her middle, easily hiding it from view, at the same time, she shrugged her shoulders from the top of the kimono, bearing just enough skin. She tried to make herself seem appealing, tried to ensure that her prey would take the bait. As she focused on the thought, her body seemed to begin to ooze raw sensuality. She quickly focused that feeling into something even more potent.

At that moment, the man came into sight, his eye's caught sight of her, and his jaw dropped. Holding up a finger and gesturing to be quiet, she beckoned him, feeling as though she had him by some kind of puppet string. He dropped the small clipboard he'd been holding and stumbled almost blindly forward, his hands reaching forward in a groping motion. Just before he reached her, she lunged forward, closing her hands around his throat, and pulling him into the darkened room.

The man's eye's widened with terror as he felt her strength, and again even further when he saw the murderous glimmer in her eyes. "Now..." Her voice was silky, and sensual, almost causing him to forget his current predicament. "Where are my real clothes? This kimono disgusts me."

At her words, the man's eyes seemed to glaze over. "Th-they were being washed..." He said, an almost monotone to his voice, "They may be in the laundry room... at the end of this hall on the left..."

She smiled, planting a small kiss on his forehead. "Thank you." She purred, "Now sleep forever." Her grip once again crushed the life from him in a matter of moments. She tossed the dead man aside, hearing the muffled thump as his body landed on the bed across the room. Looking back out into the hall, she darted forwards, towards the laundry room that he had told her about.

As she approached stealthily, she sensed another person in the room. Silently cursing, she peeked around the corner. There was a woman standing there, currently folding what looked like clean laundry. As she silently approached the woman, she decided to enjoy herself a bit. _After all..._ She thought with a wicked smile, _What's the point in life if you can't play with your prey?_ She reached around the girl, seizing her breasts in one hand and clapping the other over her mouth tightly. "Make a sound, and I will rip your throat out. Understand?" She purred softly into the girl's ear. There was a terrified nod, "Now then," She casually began to play with her captive, feeling her breath against her other hand begin to grow hot and quick. "Would you be a dear, and tell me where my clothes are? Do it quickly enough, and I'll give you a _reward_." She put a little bit of extra inflection on the last word, as well as a playful squeeze to the girl's breast.

The girl seemed to practically melt in her hands. A glance around to her eyes found them glazed over, like the man from before, and she could feel the girl's tongue lightly brush against her palm. _Heh... they're like putty in my hands._ She thought, reveling in the power she felt over the girl. "I'm going to allow you to speak. Tell me where my clothes are please?"

Her hand lowered from the girl's mouth,"They're here..." The girl said in that same monotone, "I just finished folding them... I was told to leave them... in your room for when you woke up..."

She smiled cruelly, "Aww, what an adorable little thing you are." The girl's face curled into a stupefied smile at the compliment, her eyes still glazed over. "Thank you so much for your hard work." She purred. "Now time for your reward." She pulled the girl around and planted a kiss firmly against her lips. The girl moaned slightly into it before gasping in pain as her clawed fingers crushed through her ribcage to her heart.

She let the girl's body fall, wiping her bloodied hand off on her own kimono before stripping out of it. A minute later, she was once again dressed in clothes that felt natural. Stealthily creeping back out into the hall, she made her way silently towards Orihime. Unfortunately, she encountered no more prey along her path, she had been enjoying her hunt until then, until she found the door to Orihime's room.

A man stood just to the side of the entrance, clearly a guard. All thoughts of playing with her prey vanished from her mind now that she was so close to _her_. She darted from around the corner, closing the distance to the guard in a blur of motion and fury. Her clawed fingers cleaved into his neck just as he realized he wasn't alone. His shocked expression went slack as he died instantly and fell to the floor with a soft thump. Meanwhile, the momentum of her charge carried her right into the open doorway.

The inside of the room was dark. Her eyes took a moment to adjust once more, then she saw them. Two figures, one on the bed, the other in a chair next to it. The figure seated in the chair was just turning to look at her, possibly alerted by the sound of the guard's fall. But she barely noticed that person. Her eyes were locked on the bed-bound one.

It was her... She sat upright, her head bowed forward gracefully, her beautiful long orange hair draped down lightly brushing against her soft, gentle hands. But her eyes... they were open, but they clearly saw nothing. They were glazed over, almost dead looking. Those beautiful eyes that had once been so full of life.

 _Ori...hime..._ She felt her heart stop at the sight of the girl, as if all that she knew had suddenly been shattered. _What have they done to you...? Orihime?_ The short woman in the chair rose with a start, her hand falling to the katana at her waist. Rage flooded her system once again. She lunged forward, bashing the woman aside as though she were a rag doll. "Ori...hime...?" She found herself standing over the girl. Her hands reached forward, clutching desperately at Orihime's shoulders. "Ori...hime...? Please... wake up... come on... It's me."

Nothing. The girl was completely unresponsive. Gathering her up in her arms, she looked down at the beautiful girl who had once been so vibrant and full of life. Throwing her head back, Arisawa Tatsuki let loose a scream of desperate, furious despair.

* * *

Ishida awoke to the scream. It was clearly the cry of a hollow, but there was something... human about it too. _An Arrancar? Here in Seireitei!?_ It was then that he felt the reiatsu. It was almost as if some kind of veil had hidden it up until that immediate moment. _It's so close!_ Throwing himself out of his bed, he ran to the hall, almost tripping over the corpse of the shinigami that lay there.

 _What the hell is happening?_ He looked up to see someone in Inoue's room. "Inoue-san!" He leaped across the hall, just as the figure turned at his approach, and he felt his heart stop. "Arisawa...san?"

It was clearly her, her face was unchanged, however a strange almost tiara-like band appeared just above her eyebrows, and extended down the sides of her face. She had tears in her eyes, but those eye... they weren't human. They were too full of hatred and rage. And then he saw the hole.

"No... Arisawa-san... how...?"

"I-shi-da-kun..." Her voice was sultry and impossibly smooth, but there was a murderous edge to it that caused him to step backwards. "What did you do... to Orihime?" She held Inoue in her arms, the girl's glazed over eyes just staring ahead, oblivious to the terrible events around her.

"I..."

"You... you hurt her somehow... didn't you? I-shi-da-kun?" There was an almost maniacal note to her voice as she stalked towards him.

He watched, terrified, as one of his best human friends closed the distance between them, clearly ready to kill him. As she grew closer, step by step, his vision seemed to blur, and he suddenly found it difficult to even stand. _Reiatsu? No... her reiatsu is certainly powerful... I can sense that, but this is something else..._ He stumbled backwards out into the hall, tripping over the dead guard and falling through the opposite door, landing hard.

"You and these people in the kimonos... you've hurt her somehow... You'll pay... YOU'LL ALL PAY!" Just as she was about to lunge, a figure appeared between Tatsuki and Ishida, slashing at her with a Zanpakutō. She dodged backwards easily, allowing the blade to only cut empty air.

"No! Renji-san! She has Inoue-san!" Ishida felt his blood freeze in fear for the orange haired girl.

"I know." Renji straightened to his full height. "This is gonna be tough. Just how the hell did an Arrancar get in here anyways?"

"I don't know what happened... but it's Arisawa-san." Ishida pushed himself back to his feet, desperately wishing that he still had his left hand.

"Arisawa?" Renji blinked as he recognized the young woman who clutched protectively at Orihime's body. "You mean your human friend? The karate girl?"

"Yes... I had heard from Urahara-san that she was brought here yesterday evening... But I don't know the details."

Tatsuki breathed heavily, glaring daggers of pure hate at the two men. "What are you two mumbling about over there?" She asked, her voice rolling across them like honey. "Are you plotting something?"

Renji felt the young woman's voice slither into his mind, whispers echoed through his thoughts as she spoke. He stumbled, clutching at his head with one hand while trying to keep his Zanpakutō aimed at her with the other. "What... the hell? What'd she... do to me...?" He felt his vision begin to blur.

"I... think it's her power... but I can't tell what it is..." Ishida seemed to be similarly affected, leaning against the door post just to keep standing. "This is really bad... Renji-san..."

"Yeah... We need to get out of here..." Renji cursed silently, feeling Rukia's reiatsu faintly on the other side of the wall from him. "Need to... get her somewhere open..." He grabbed Ishida, before vanishing away with a shunpo.

Tatsuki watched the men disappear, her hatred roaring through her veins. "You won't escape me that easilly... Ishida!" She stepped out into the hall, stomping down vindictively on the dead guard's head and feeling it crush beneath her heel with a satisfied smirk. She turned to follow the fleeing Ishida and Renji, feeling her body instinctively rush forward into a powerful sonido.

As she flickered out of the building, she was forced to dodge to the side as a blade cut through the air where her head had been an instant before. Coming to a stop, she found herself surrounded by dozens of Shinigami, all of them with their Zanpakutōs drawn and ready. In the middle of the Shinigami, stood an anciently old looking man, his back was hunched forward with age, and his head was bald, but sported a venerable, long white beard. He opened his eyes as she appeared, and she felt her blood freeze in fear. _He's strong..._ She realized. _So strong it hurts to even be near him..._

"Release Inoue Orihime." The old man commanded, his voice reminded her of a boulder rolling down a mountain. "Surrender now, and we may be able to reverse what has been done to you. But should you resist..." The staff in his hands seemed to disitegrate, revealing a katana which blazed with fire as he unsheathed it. "We shall cut you down without mercy."

Tatsuki threw her gaze across the gathered Shinigami. Besides the old man, there were over a dozen others that seemed to be almost as disgustingly strong. _Maybe if it was just one of them... And if I didn't have to worry about Orihime..._ Her eye's widened as she realized what losing here would mean. _They'll keep hurting her..._ She thought, clutching the girl tighter to her chest. Seeing this, the old man gestured, and several Shinigami lunged forward. _No... I can't lose her again... not now... not when I just found her. "NO!"_ She let loose a deafening shriek.

The night sky above the Seireitei seemed to shatter, as a bright streak of yellow light pierced down, bathing Tatsuki in it's protective glow.

"Negacion?!" Yamamoto blinked in surprise, looking up to see the massive Garganta open, and dozens of Gillian Menos Grande leered down on the Seireitei.

Tatsuki looked around, unsure of what was happening, clutching Orihime tightly to her. As the light continued to glow around her, she realized how warm and welcoming it felt. Like a warm fire to welcome her home after a long cold night. The ground beneath her splintered as the stone tile on which she stood slowly began to rise into the air.

The Shinigami below could only watch helplessly as Arisawa Tatsuki disappeared through the Garganta, taking Inoue Orihime with her.

* * *

Tatsuki looked about frantically, trying to figure out where she was. As the darkness around her faded away, she found herself in a cavern. One roughly the size of a city by the looks of it. Sensing a presence behind her, she whirled around, finding herself staring at something larger than a building, with a single massive pale eye gazing gently down at her. It made no moves, no sound, it simply regarded her with it's single giant eye.

Finally it turned, moving itself on a pair of enormous, stubby arms that it used to drag itself with, and slid away, leaving her alone. Tatsuki blinked, unsure of what the creature was, but somehow sure that it had saved her. Looking about, she cast out her senses, trying to figure out where she was, and more importantly, why she was there.

 _There's a bunch of... I can't call them people... they feel more like animals._ She thought quietly, _There's a lot of them... but they feel... familliar. As though I can tell they won't attack me. That's good. The air here feels good too... like it's greeting me, welcoming me home..._ As she thought, she looked down at Orihime. The girl had no physical injuries, and her eyes had closed at some point during the commotion, she looked like a sleeping princess or something. Casting out her senses once more, she discovered that there were also presences above her. _So... there's a surface above this cavern... makes sense I guess._

It occurred to her then, just how surprisingly calm she was about the situation. _Just what the hell happened to me...? I remember walking along the river... and then... nothing... a fear... some kind of primal terror. But nothing else. And have I always had this hole in my middle? It feels so... natural now, that I almost forgot about it._

"So you are here." A soft voice echoed out across the cavern. Tatsuki crouched down defensively over Orihime's body as she looked around for the speaker. "There is no need to worry." The stranger said, appearing from a small tunnel. "I am an ally."

Tatsuki felt her eyes widen in shock. "You!?" Standing across from her, his hands in his pockets, and a neutral expression on his pale face, was one of the two people that had nearly killed her in the park several months ago.

The newcomer's eyes flashed in recognition as he stopped at the entrance to the tunnel. "Oh? Shiro-sama failed to mention that it was going to be you..." He considered her for a few moments, his green eyes boring into her. "Hmm... it seems that you no longer have the spiritual strength of trash... you appear to have somehow become an Arrancar. I suppose that means that Shiro-sama's experiment was a success. He'll be pleased." His eyes tracked down to the sleeping form of Orihime below her, and widened in shock. "Inoue... Orihime...?"

Tatsuki felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, "You know Orihime?"

The man said nothing for a time, he simply stared. Finally, he looked back to Tatsuki. "Come... It's not likely to be good to leave her lying on the cold stone like that. Shiro-sama awaits your arival at Las Noches. I suspect he'll be pleased that you somehow secured Inoue Orihime as well." He turned and began to walk away down the tunnel.

Tatsuki blinked in surprise, but decided that following him would be better than just sitting there. Gently picking Orihime up, she followed the man into the darkness, her eyes quickly adjusting so that she could see, even in the pitch darkness. _Just what in the world is happening to me...?_

"I take it that you can see?" His voice surprised her, instead of sounding from ahead of her, he now walked right next to her.

 _When did he move!?_ It took a considerable amount of self control not to try and attack him. After spending a moment recovering her composure, she nodded.

"Good." He said, his eyes never once actually tracking to her. He just looked straight ahead as he walked. "It seems that you possess quite a few impressive abilities. Shiro-sama will be pleased that it was such a success."

"Um..." Tatsuki shifted her grip on Orihime. "You keep talking about this 'Shiro-sama'... who is he?"

The man glanced at her, it almost looked like he was wondering if she was joking or not. "I see... so you don't remember. Does the name Kurosaki Ichigo mean anything to you?"

"You know Ichigo?!" She stared wide eyed at him for a few moments.

"Not anymore." He continued on, ignoring her outburst, "Kurosaki Ichigo is dead." Tatsuki felt her knees almost give out. "However... rather than vanish into the dark, his soul was so strong that it... reconstituted itself. He is now an Arrancar like you and myself." He stopped, turning to look back at her, "That is Shiro-sama."

Tatsuki tried to understand what the man was saying. "So... Shiro is like the reincarnation of Ichigo?"

He blinked, thinking about the comparison for a moment. "That... is close enough to the truth to suffice as an answer. For now."

"You seem to know an awful lot about what's going on here. And you know Orihime, so I'm going to ask you. Do you know why Orihime's like this?" Her eye's narrowed dangerously, causing the man to pause as he considered her potential strength.

"Inoue Orihime was present during Shiro-sama's 'rebirth'." He said after a while, his green eyes steady in the darkness. "It was... not a pleasant or particularly joyous incident, as it also means that she was present to witness Kurosaki Ichigo's death." He turned away from her, "I too was there. After all... I am the one who killed Kurosaki Ichigo."

Tatsuki stopped moving. Stopped breathing. _This guy... killed Ichigo?_ "Y-you...?" She tried to think, tried to force her brain to work again. "You... killed Ichigo?"

"Yes." He nodded, his back still turned to her. He began to walk once more. "I blasted a hole roughly the size of his head through his chest. It killed him instantly. However... even then... I underestimated how far he would go to protect Inoue Orihime."

She blinked in surprise again, "What do you mean?" She felt her legs start to move again, keeping up with him meant she would figure out what happened. That's all that mattered.

"She... called out to him. Begged him to save her, and Ishida Uryuu." Tatsuki's mind flashed back to Ishida's missing hand, realizing suddenly how he probably lost it. "And... despite all of the odds. Despite all logic stating that his body couldn't possibly move, or his mind react to her cries... He rose again to fight. Not as a human, or a Shinigami. But as a hollow." The man gave a small, involontary shudder, "That... creature... was the single most powerful hollow I have ever seen. Which being a hollow myself, says a considerable amount. But it was only a crysaliss. I realize that now. It beat me completely, before it's mask broke and Shiro-sama awakened."

Tatsuki smiled slightly at the thought of Ichigo beating the shit out of this pale man ahead of her. He ignored her however and continued his tale. "Ishida Uryuu and Inoue Orihime were present for that event. I... suspect... that the horror of what their friend had become, coupled with the fear that he naturally seems to exhude, caused Inoue Orihime to retreat, to the only place that was truly safe at the time. The confines of her own mind."

"That's why she won't answer anyone..." Tatsuki thought back, remembering that for all of her beauty and kindness, Orihime _was_ still only fifteen years old. An experience like what the man had just described would have been traumatic for anyone... but for a fifteen year old girl, who was watching it happen to someone for whom she cared deeply... She felt herself shudder.

The man simply continued walking, silent now that he had finished telling her everything that he felt was necessary. They walked for what felt like an eternity, every now and then, the tunnel would curve and twist slightly, but the pale man never once slowed or turned down any of the side passages. Finally Tatsuki spoke again. "So... you serve Shiro now?"

He nodded, "There has never been an Arrancar as powerful as him. Even Aizen-sama was no match for him. There is no other worthy of my service."

"Oh..." They continued on in silence for another few minutes. By now, Tatsuki noticed a definite upward slope to their path. "So what's your name?"

As she asked, the glimmer of moonlight appeared up ahead. He stopped as the tunnel let out under a pitch black sky, a bright crescent moon glowing overhead. "Ulquiorra." He turned back to her, locking gazes with her as he spoke, sillouetted by the moonlight. "Ulquiorra Scifer."

* * *

Shiro opened his eyes slowly. He was seated on a large throne-like seat that faced out over the desert from his tower. He stirred as the reiatsu appeared at the tunnel entrance. _So she survived eh...?_ He chuckled lightly to himself. _And there's a third reiatsu there... faint... but unmistakable. She actually managed to reclaim Inoue from Soul Society? Her powers must be greater than I expected._

Rising, he walked out onto the large balcony, looking down towards the endless sands of Hueco Mundo. "Welcome to my world... Tatsuki."

* * *

 **And so a new weapon falls into Shiro's hands. (insert maniacal laughter here.)**

 **Anyways, for those of you who can guess what Tatsuki's ability is, have a gold star and a cookie. :) For those of you who don't know yet, all shall be revealed in time. I promise.**

 **I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy it as much as I do :)**

 **And if you guy's are waiting for more character death, just be patient. There will be a lot of corpses by the time I'm done.**

 **Until next time, please enjoy :)**


	7. Chapter 7

Tatsuki stared dumbfounded up at the enormous structure that rose out of the desert sands. "This is..."

"Las Noches." Ulquiorra said, beginning to make his way towards the palace. "Our home, and the seat of Shiro-sama's power." He considered her reaction to the building for a moment. "Come." He said, "Shiro-sama awaits us."

With that, he vanished away in a puff of sand using sonido. Tatsuki blinked in surprise, dimly recalling using the ability in Soul Society. Trying to recall how she had moved so fast, she began to feel the reishi particles in the air around her. Gathering them beneath her feet, she let out a surprised yelp as she flashed forward with a sonido of her own.

Ulquiorra waited for her at the top of the next sand dune, watching her slightly clumsy movements. "You seem to know nothing of reishi manipulation... or your own abilities." He observed, his tone neutral.

She came to a stumbling stop beside him, straining to not drop Orihime's sleeping body as she did. "Yeah well... that's not exactly something they teach you in high school." She closed her eyes, allowing her senses to flare to life once more, feeling the air around her and the sand beneath her feet in a way that she had never thought possible until that moment.

Ulquiorra watched her for a few moments, an odd expression on his normally neutral face. "Tell me..." He said, curiosity in his tone, "What is it like to see the world as you now do for the first time? I can no longer remember a time when reishi and reiatsu were unknown to me."

She slowly opened her eyes once again, "It's... incredible... It feels like the whole world is alive and buzzing with energy. It's like... a tiny charge of static across my skin. I feel so _alive_!" She shivered at the sensation, her every sense tingling with the feeling of connection.

Ulquiorra nodded once again, apparently satisfied with the answer. Looking up to the pale glowing moon, "Savor that feeling. For eternity stretches before you now. And the time may come, that you will long for something new once more." Tatsuki blinked at him, confused by the statement, but she nodded quietly just the same. "Try to keep up this time." He leaped away once more, moving towards Las Noches.

 _What a weird guy..._ Tatsuki thought, gathering the reishi beneath her and blinking forward once again.

* * *

Shiro sat on his throne, smiling slightly as she entered the throne room. Even prepared as she was, having been told by Ulquiorra, and having remembered bits and pieces of their meeting by the riverbank as she had traveled across the desert of Hueco Mundo, Tatsuki still felt her breath catch in her throat when she saw Ichigo's face. Ulquiorra stopped at the base of the stairs leading to the throne and bowed slightly. "I've returned Shiro-sama, with the one you requested."

"Thank you for retrieving her, Ulquiorra." Shiro's deep voice rumbled across the massive throne room, "It would have been troublesome if she'd gotten lost in that tunnel system." His smile widened slightly, "Tatsuki. Welcome to Las Noches."

Tatsuki felt her grip on Orihime tighten protectively. "Ichigo..." She said quietly.

"Eh?" A voice rang out to Tatsuki's left, "You seriously had Ulquiorra go pick out a new pet for you Shiro-sama?" She turned to see a tall man with short spiky blue hair leering at her, "You mean Hallibel's girls and that bitch Nel aren't enough for you?"

Tatsuki felt her cheeks flush in anger. "What did you just call me, you pig?"

"Grimmjow... must you antagonize everyone you meet?" A blonde woman leaned against a pillar to Grimmjow's right, she wore a pair of baggy hakama and a tight fitting coat that stopped just below the middle of her breasts, and rose up to cover the lower half of her face. "It's clear that this one is the result of the experiment you recommended." She turned to consider Tatsuki for a moment, "And besides... I think she may be stronger than you as well."

"Eh?!" Grimmjow's eyes snapped back and forth between the blonde and Tatsuki, "No way this bitch is stronger than me."

Tatsuki felt her hatred of the man grow stronger by the second. "Enough." Shiro's voice cut through her, snapping her attention back around to him. "Grimmjow... Hallibel's right. You really do seem to have a problem with just about every new Arrancar I make." He looked back to Tatsuki, "You'll need to forgive Grimmjow." He said with a small smirk, "He's a superlative fighter, but somewhat lacking in the realm of manners. Especially when it comes to women."

Tatsuki snorted derisively. "He'd just better watch his mouth from now on." She said, her tone dangerous enough to cause Hallibel to blink in surprise. "You seem a little different from the last time we met 'Shiro'. You're being a bit more polite."

Shiro chuckled, before closing the distance between them in the time it took Tatsuki's heart to beat. He towered over her, all mirth and kindness gone from his expression. Tatsuki felt her heart stop, paralyzing terror flooding through her as he glared down at her. "Out of deference to the memories of Kurosaki Ichigo which I possess, I thought it better to be polite now that you are an Arrancar and actually worthy of my time." His voice was low and murderous, "But do not mistake that as leave to become overly familiar. I am the king." He leaned closer, until their eyes were only inches apart, "And you are in my world."

Tatsuki felt her knees give out, she fell to the floor, unable to look away from those terrifying black-yellow eyes. She managed to nod once in understanding, barely able to breathe. Shiro's eyes continued to bore into her, seeming to lay her very soul bare before him. Finally, the fear began to lessen and he turned away from her, returning to his throne with another impossibly fast sonido.

"See that you remember that." He said, sitting back down.

Slowly, Tatsuki rose again to her feet, beads of sweat running down her neck, and her legs shaking. "Wh-what can I do for you then... Shiro-sama...?"

He leaned back in his seat, resting his chin on a fist, "You can get yourself acquainted with Las Noches, learn everything you can about the palace. Hallibel will show you to your personal quarters. There's a spare chamber connected to them where you can place Inoue Orihime. I'll assign a few lower tier Arrancar to help take care of her."

Hallibel nodded, gesturing for Tatsuki to follow her. As the two left, Grimmjow snorted, "You really know how to pick'em, Shiro-sama."

"Get used to the idea of having her around Grimmjow." Shiro's smile turned unusually cruel. "Because once she's situated, you are going to be training her."

Grimmjow stared dumbstruck up at the throne. "That's not even remotely funny." He said after a few moments, his expression mutinous.

"That's good, because I wasn't joking." Shiro rose, walking down the steps towards the blue haired Espada. "I know Tatsuki, if her preferences for combat as an Arrancar are even remotely similar to what they were when she was human, you will be the best choice to train her how to use her new abilities. And besides, she's strong, think of how much stronger training with her will make you." He paused, patting Grimmjow on the shoulder, "I'm counting on you for this Grimmjow. I have high hopes for Tatsuki, so I need her fully ready to fight for me as soon as possible. Whip her into shape for me."

Hallibel led Tatsuki through the halls of the palace silently, only sparing even a glance back at the younger woman every few minutes to make sure she was still there. They walked for what felt like an eternity, through countless winding corridors and up several flights of stairs. The scale of the place left Tatsuki stunned, every hallway, every corridor was massive, the smallest that they walked through being easily a hundred feet high at the ceiling.

Then they entered the sunlight. If Tatsuki had been expecting anything to be inside Las Noches, it wasn't the enormous open desert that she suddenly found herself looking out over. Above her, blue sky spread as far as she could see. All across her vision, blocky towers rose up from the desert sands, Some were comparatively short and squat, while others reached high into the sky.

Hallibel noted Tatsuki's amazed expression. "We are currently under the dome." She said with a small chuckle, "The sunlight is completely artificial. Come this way." She flashed away with a sonido, heading out into the desert.

Tatsuki readjusted her grip on Orihime, and followed her. They stopped in front of one of the medium sized towers. "This tower is yours." Hallibel stated simply. "The entire structure, there are bedchambers, studies, and training halls throughout it, and enough room to house any Fraccion you eventually claim as your own. Shiro-sama seems to think you have what it takes to be an Espada, and I personally hope that he's right."

It took Tatsuki a few seconds to realize what the blonde haired woman had said, after that, she stood gaping at the tower for another few minutes. Even though it was shorter than many of the other towers within the dome, it still loomed over her, easily the size of a small skyscraper. "What... what do you mean 'mine'?" She asked dumbly, unable to even comprehend having something so huge as her home. "You could fit half of Karakura in this thing..."

"Something you need to understand," Hallibel said, "Shiro-sama does not suffer fools, nor has he patience for those who disrespect him. But he is generous to those who serve him faithfully." Then she nodded, "Now if you will excuse me. I need to go ensure that my Fraccion haven't murdered each other." There was an almost maternal smile in her tone as she vanished away with a sonido.

Tatsuki stared up at the massive tower for another few minutes, still unable to believe that the entire thing was hers. Finally, she looked down to the sleeping form of Orihime in her arms, "Well... I guess we hit the big time now, haven't we Orihime?" She then leaped upwards powerfully, landing on a massive balcony near the top of the tower.

The balcony led into a large, extremely luxuriously furnished chamber, dominated by a massive bed set against the far wall. There was already someone waiting there for her as she landed. She was a skinny looking woman, just slightly taller than Tatsuki, with a broken hollow mask in the form of a simple white hairband across the top of her light chestnut brown hair. She was dressed in a white kimono and stood quietly just inside the chamber. As Tatsuki landed on balcony, she bowed.

"Greetings Tatsuki-sama, I am Giri. Shiro-sama has instructed that I assist you in any way you deem fit." She gestured to a door that lead out of the room, "If it pleases you, I have prepared a bed chamber in the next room for your guest."

Tatsuki blinked in surprise, not used to being treated so formally. "Er... ok. Good... thank you." Giri led the way through the door. The room that she had prepared was only slightly smaller than the main room next door, and could easily have fit Tatsuki's old home in Karakura town inside it twice over.

Giri helped her set Orihime down on the enormous bed, ensuring that the human girl would be comfortable, even if she didn't know it. She then led Tatsuki through the tower, showing her key rooms of interest. Finally, an hour later, the two found themselves back in the main room, Tatsuki looking out over the desert, and Giri standing respectfully a few paces away.

"Will you be needing anything else today Tatsuki-sama?" The Arrancar asked.

"Just one thing." Tatsuki turned, looking the other woman up and down with a curious gaze. "What exactly is your role here? Are you my maid or something?"

Giri bowed her head just enough to lower her gaze away from Tatsuki, "Shiro-sama assigned me to fulfill any role you require of me. All Espada have at least one Fraccion, an... underling, you can call them. I am yours. Or at least your first Fraccion. I suspect that as you grow more used to life within Las Noches, you will claim more, in order to fill roles more... efficiently."

Tatsuki considered the woman, "So you're my 'underling' then?"

"That is correct Tatsuki-sama."

 _This is just getting rediculous... first a skyscraper mansion, now a freaking servant._ She forced her face to stay as neutral as possible. "That's all I think I'll need for today Giri-san." The Fraccion bowed again and vanished away with a sonido, leaving Tatsuki truly alone for the first time since she had awakened in Seireitei. She sighed, suddenly realizing how incredibly exhausted she felt.

Wandering over to the massive bed, she fell forward, asleep before she even hit the covers.

* * *

"This is unaccepteble!" Commander Yamamoto's voice rang out across the emergency captain's meeting. "Not only did we allow an Arrancar into the Seireitei unnoticed, but we allowed her to escape with Inoue Orihime!" The captains all stood, silent as their commander berated them. "How could no one have noticed that Arisawa Tatsuki had been hollowfied? Her condition was checked every hour!"

Kurotsuchi Mayuri stepped forward at that, "I believe that I know." Taking the commander's pointed silence as permission to continue he went on, "I examined the room in which the girl slept, as well as the bodies of her victims, and I discovered something very interesting. Trace amounts of extremely potent Pheromones." When the others blinked in confusion, Mayuri sighed, "Pheromones are released from a body naturally as a form of non-verbal communication," He explained, "They can send very subtle, or very strong messages. From arousal to fear. I suspect that this Arisawa girl is somehow able to produce and release a variety of pheromones which have a somewhat more... potent effect on her surroundings. There were highly concentrated levels of them in the room where she was sleeping, unsurprisingly, that transmitted a signal to the brain that 'everything was ok'. While on two of her victims, there were a variety of them, one that lowered inhibitions, one that generated arousal in the subject, and one that induced an almost post-hypnotic trance." He glanced around the room, watching as they began to process his words. "What this means, is that this Arisawa girl, is quite possibly, with some training, one of the most dangerous assassins and close range fighters that Shiro possesses."

Kyouraku spoke up then, a slightly confused look on his face, "Wait... I get how she can be used as an assassin. But what about these pheromone things makes her so dangerous in a close quarters fight?"

"Think about Lieutenant Abarai's report of his confrontation with her." Said Unohana, "He claimed that when she directed her attention at him, his vision grew blurry and it became difficult for him to stand. Now imagine if they were in the middle of a heated battle and that happened."

Kyouraku's face blanched as his imagination completed the grisly scene that could have unfolded. "Oh." Was all he could bring himself to say.

"And to make matters worse, she managed to escape with Inoue Orihime, who's power holds an incredible strategic value." Komamura said, his expression dark. "How could we have let this happen?"

Urahara Kisuke stepped forward, his gaze lowered, "I take full responsibility for this disaster..." He said, his voice seemed weak, as though he could only just remember how to speak. "It's my fault. I should have realized that Shiro had used the Hōgyoku on her, but I allowed him to goad me instead. I should have checked her before bringing her here like a fool."

"Now, now. No more of that Kisuke-san." Kyouraku said with a small smile, "Shiro played you. He played us all. That girl got inspected by half of Squad Four, Unohana-san included, and no one noticed the hollowfication."

"While that is certainly true." Mayuri spoke up again, sneering at Kisuke, "You are entirely correct when you say that you allowed this to happen by letting him provoke you so easily." He let out a small mocking laugh. "The creature is barely sixteen years of age. And yet you allowed it to manipulate and maneuver you like _you_ were the child."

"Enough Kruotsuchi." Soi Fong seemed surprised by her defense of the man she had spent a hundred years hating, but she jumped to his aid anyways. "Urahara has already beaten himself up about this incident enough as it is. We don't need you making it worse."

"Hmph." Mayuri stepped back, apparently satisfied by the pained look in Kisuke's eyes, "Very well."

"Enough of this," Yamamoto said, tapping the butt of his staff on the floor loudly. "All of you, return to your duties and await further instructions. Urahara Kisuke, stay here."

The captains filed out one at a time. Unexpectedly, as she passed him, Kisuke felt Soi Fong place an encouraging hand on his arm. He smiled lightly at the action before turning to face the Commander.

"This blunder is unlike you Urahara." Yamamoto said bluntly. "What happened?"

"I underestimated Shiro's... depravity." Kisuke replied, thinking back to the confrontation on the riverbank. "He uses the memories of Kurosaki Ichigo as a weapon, aiming for weak points that he knows a person has. Either physically, or in my case, mentally."

"Oh?" Yamamoto considered the man for a time, "And what manner of mental weakness might you bear?"

"It's not important Yamamoto-dono." Kisuke hardened his gaze, feeling his hatred for Shiro return once again. "He won't be able to use it against me again."

"See that he doesn't. Make no mistake, we have fallen behind with this loss. We cannot afford to allow Shiro any more advantages."

* * *

Kurosaki Karin woke slowly. Sitting up, she looked around the still unfamiliar room she and her sister shared in the Shiba mansion. It was odd sleeping in a traditional Japanese home, like waking up in some old Samurai movie. _That's doubly true now..._ She thought with a rare smile, _Since everyone around here seems to actually be samurai._

She got up quietly, careful not to disturb Yuzu, and got dressed, grumbling a little at the kimonos which had become their primary clothing in the past few weeks. Then she silently slid open the door, and stepped out onto the wooden walkway.

For as odd, and out of place she felt in the mansion, she found that the large garden that sat in the middle of the structure, ringed by the walkway was her favorite place. It was peaceful, and oddly enough, reminded her of Ichigo. She walked through the garden to her favorite spot, a beautiful clearing under a sakura tree. The tree was just starting to come into bloom this week, and she lay down under it, feeling as though the last few weeks just hadn't happened.

As she lay there beneath the sakura tree, she heard footsteps approaching. Frowning, she sighed, "Up a little early aren't you dad?"

Isshin stopped on the path, smiling affectionately, "I wanted the chance to spend some time with my family before work."

"Hmph... I'm still mad at you for lying about all this for my whole life." She opened her eyes, fixing her father with a withering glare, "And I will _never_ forgive you for not helping Ichi-nii." Her voice was low, but it cut across the garden like a blade, causing Isshin to flinch. "If you're so damned powerful, why the hell did Ichi-nii never have you there? You should have helped him when he needed you, instead of cowering at home."

"Then what?" Isshin's pained expression broke as he gazed back at her, "What would I have done if something had happened to you and Yuzu?" Karin paused, "I know that I should have told Ichigo about my powers... I should have trained him... prepared him... But I couldn't just leave you and your sister. I made my choice, Karin. And that's something that will haunt me until the day I die." He sighed heavily, sitting down on the grass across from her. "Could I have kept Ichigo alive if I had gone with him? Maybe... but I couldn't risk you two as well. I chose to trust that Ichigo was ready for what he was getting into, I chose to believe that Kisuke and Yoruichi had trained him enough to survive... And in choosing that, I chose to accept whatever came from it. And that choice has broken my heart almost every morning since."

"Dammit! Just let me hate you!" Karin screamed, jumping to her feet, tears in her eyes. "At least then I'll have a face to hate instead of some damned story!" She turned and ran down the path, towards the main house.

"She's still angry at you huh?" Isshin turned, seeing Yuzu standing on the path, her own expression sad.

"Yeah..." He sighed, standing up and walking over to her. "She's upset, and she blames me for Ichigo's death. I can't say that she's entirely wrong either..."

"No." Yuzu tried to smile, hugging him tightly. "The only one to blame is the monster that killed him. No one else."

Isshin smiled softly down at her. "I wish I had your ability to see the world so clearly Yuzu..." Finally pulling away from her, he patted her gently on the head, "I have to go now... The Old Man want's me to kick the punks of squad Nine back into shape."

Yuzu grinned up at her father brightly, "Do your best then."

"Mmhm. Try to help out your sister. She won't talk to me, but she still loves you more than life." With that, he smiled again and vanished away with a shunpo.

Yuzu sighed after she was sure he was gone, feeling her tears start to gather again. "Dammit..." She choked, "Putting on a strong front is harder than I thought..." She rubbed her eyes dry, and walked towards the main house calling out to her sister as she went. "Karin... where'd you go?"

She found Karin in a room that had been turned into a dojo during the reconstruction of the house. The dark haired girl was kicking a sandbag as hard as she could. Lines still streaked her face from her already dried tears.

"Here to ask me to play nice with him?" She asked, showing no other sign acknowledging her sister's presence. She drove a kick into the bag hard enough to rock it's stand as she spoke.

"These fights of yours are tearing us apart Karin. We need to be a family again..."

"Well maybe that bastard should have thought about that before he sent Ichi-nii off to die!" Karin kicked even harder, nearly knocking the bag from it's holder.

Yuzu flinched, "Please Karin... can't you at least _try_?"

Karin stopped kicking, breathing heavily from the exercise. "Can't you see Yuzu?" She turned to face her sister, her expression hard. "He lied to us. Our whole lives, he lied to us about everything, and smiled that stupid grin of his the whole time. I can't trust him anymore... What if he's still lying about something?"

Yuzu blinked in shock, "Like what?"

Karin paused, lowering her gaze, "Like how Ichi-nii really died."

Yuzu couldn't believe what her sister was saying. "You can't possibly be serious... You've seen how he's been taking Ichi-nii's death. It's torn him apart! He tries to put on a strong face for us... he tries to pretend that he's ok... but I've seen him when he thinks he's alone..."

"So have I." Karin said, turning back to her sister. "I've seen him at night, after you're asleep, and he thinks he's the only one still up. But I also saw Urahara-san's expression." Yuzu blinked in confusion. "The day dad brought us here, the day he... told us about Ichi-nii... I saw Urahara-san's expression when dad told us how he died." Her expression grew darker, "Dad lied. Or at least he didn't tell us everything... And until he comes clean about that... I can't trust him ever again."

* * *

"So, what do you think, Ulquiorra? Nelliel?" Shiro sat in his personal chambers, the two Espada with him. They were seated around a small table, cups of tea in front of them, as the endless night of Hueco Mundo glittered outside, visible from the massive balcony that reached from the tower.

"Hmph." Nel huffed, before drinking, "I guess she's not as useless as she was before. But I still don't see what's so special about her."

Ulquiorra said nothing for a time, gathering his thoughts, his large green eyes almost seeming to glow in the pale moonlight. "I believe that it is still too early to tell." He finally said at length. "She seems to be confident in herself, but she is unaware of even her most basic abilities beyond an instinctual level. Also... she appears to naturally shroud her reiatsu somehow, which makes it difficult to sense her true strength."

"Hmm... She reminds me of Kurosaki Ichigo. Back when he first gained his powers." Shiro said, a small grin on his face. "I have a feeling she'll make for a very dangerous ally."

Ulquiorra nodded, but Nel simply crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. "I doubt she'll even survive the first few minutes of training with Grimmjow. He'll tear her to pieces, especially after how they were introduced."

As she spoke, a surge of heavy reiatsu erupted from below them. "Speak of the devil... Looks like Grimmjow decided not to wait." Shiro rose, finishing off his tea in a single gulp. "Shall we go watch?"

Ulquiorra and Nel both nodded, standing as well and following Shiro down the stairs to an elevator-like contraption, which let them out in the throne room. From there, they traveled to the inner dome via sonido, and took up positions atop one of the towers. A few moments later, they were joined by Hallibel, her three Fraccion in tow.

"Shiro-sama! Ready to watch your new girl get the shit kicked out of her?" Asked Emirū Apacchi, her black shoulder-length hair blowing with a small breeze that fluttered past.

"Watch you're tongue, you stupid bitch! That's _Shiro-sama_ you're talking to!" The amazonian Franceska Mila Rose snapped at her fellow Fraccion, "We owe him our damn lives! Have a little respect."

"You both make far too much noise." Sneered Cyan Sung-Sun, holding her long sleeve covered hand up to cover her mouth. "You're embarrassing Hallibel-sama."

"Fuck off Sung-Sun!" The other two snapped in unison.

Shiro felt his patience start to wear thin, but managed to maintain an air of calm. "We'll see how well she does, Apacchi." He said, causing the three bickering Fraccion to quiet instantly. "And while I'm glad to see you three have made such a... speedy recovery from the injuries you sustained in the battle against Soul Society, I would appreciate it tremendously if you would argue somewhere else."

He could instantly the fearful sweat that formed on all three of them as they quickly caught the hint. Bowing, and tripping over themselves in apology, they quickly flickered away to another tower a few hundred yards away. Even with the distance, he could still arguing over who's fault it was that he'd grown angry with them.

"My apologies for their behavior, Shiro-sama." Hallibel bowed lightly, "They've always been like this, and it seems that not even almost dying can cure them of their animosity towards each other."

"They're just lucky the boss seems to be in a good mood today." The voice of Coyote Stark appeared behind them as he arrived with Lilinette. "Still, I'm curious to see if this new girl can deliver on Shiro-sama's expectations."

As he spoke, a tower off in the distance seemed to shatter as something hit it with terrible velocity. Shiro smiled a humorless smile, "I guess it's time to find out."

* * *

A surge of bloodlust woke Tatsuki, her instincts kicking in an instant before the blade stabbed down towards her heart. Throwing herself to the side, she came up in a crouch, facing her attacker.

"Oh? So you actually managed to dodge that eh?" Grimmjow gave her a lecherous sneer as he rested his Zanpakutō against his shoulder. "Maybe you're actually worth a shit after all."

"What the hell are you doing here you bastard?" Tatsuki snarled, her hatred for the blue haired man rolling off her in waves.

"Shiro-sama ordered me to kick your worthless ass into shape. Teach you how to use your abilities. And there's no better way to learn than a trial by fire." He suddenly lunged forward, sweeping his Zanpakutō around in a brutal cleaving strike.

His speed caught her off guard, catching her in the side and hurling her out across the balcony and over empty space. He blinked in mild surprise as she fell out of his view. _She has a pretty tough Hierro..._ He thought, looking at the clean blade of his Zanpakutō, _Not even a scratch eh... this may actually be more fun than I expected._

He walked casually out to the edge of the balcony, his blade once again resting on his shoulder. As he looked over the edge to see where his foe had landed, his eyes widened in shock. He managed to throw himself backwards as Tatsuki lunged past him, her powerful leap carrying her up and over to land behind him as he rolled to a kneeling stop.

"You asked for it you son of a bitch!" She punched down at his head. His eyes widened again when he realized that she wasn't punching bear-handed. She wore what looked like a pair of blackened gauntlets. They covered the backs of her hands, and reached a few inches up past her wrists, they also seemed to have a small armored plate covering the palm of the hand, but left her fingers mostly uncovered, only reaching to the middle joint of each digit. A wicked looking spike protruded from each knuckle on both gauntlets, and a handful of them were currently aimed right for his eyes.

Grimmjow hauled his Zanpakutō up, barely managing to get it between his face and the oncoming fist in time, blocking with the flat of the blade. _What the fuck?!_ He suddenly found himself thrown out over the edge of the balcony, the unexpected force of the blow taking him completely by surprise. He crashed into a tower almost a hundred yards later, coughing as he shook his head. _Was that bitch Hallibel right? Can she really be that strong?_

His thoughts were interrupted as Tatsuki reappeared before him, a wordless howl of rage on her lips and her right leg already scything around in a brutal roundhouse kick aimed for his head. Snarling in fury, he leaped up the tower, dodging the kick and skidding to a halt several yards away before lunging blade first at the young woman.

The two clashed in midair in a burst of reiatsu. Grimmjow's greater weight bore down on Tatsuki, pushing her towards the sands below. Grimmjow meanwhile blinked in surprise, noticing that she had managed to catch the point of his blade in her armored hands. As the two fell, Tatsuki grabbed the back of his blade and pulled him forward, driving a knee heavily into his nose when he got close enough. As his vision exploded in pain from the blow, he hauled himself around, driving his foot into her exposed stomach and kicking her into the wall of the tower beside them. The kick gave Grimmjow enough momentum to throw himself back out into open air, coming to rest several yards above the sand.

His victory was short lived however as Tatsuki shot from the wall like a bullet, closing the distance between them in a matter of brief seconds. However this time, Grimmjow was ready for her. Slicing up just before her punch reached him, he knocked her fist aside, breaking her momentum and leaving her open. Spinning around, he delivered another brutal kick to her stomach, knocking the wind from her and hurling her back into, and this time through the tower behind her.

As he watched the tower shatter beneath her impact, he breathed heavily. _Shit... this chick can fucking fight!_ He thought, grinning despite himself. _It's almost like fighting him again._ He blinked in shock as he realized that he had just compared this girl to Kurosaki Ichigo. _Now I see why Shiro-sama wanted her..._

The dust from the clloapsing tower was beginning to clear. Grimmjow saw his opponent standing on the air just beyond the wreckage, breathing hard as she recovered from the blow he had dealt her, and also seeming surprised that she was standing on empty air. "What's the matter?" He called out, "You aren't giving up yet are you? This is just starting to get _fun_!" He lunged forward once again, bringing his blade up into a vicious slash towards her chest.

Just before his strike was about to connect, he saw her lips curl into a grin. Then she rolled to the side, the blade a hair's breath above her as she planted her palm on the air and brought her feet up to lash at his face in a flurry of kicks. The blade of his Zanpakutō continued it's now useless arc as he felt his nose flatten under the force of the first blow, he managed to turn his face to the side as the second one came in, and by the time the third kick connected with the back of his head, he had managed to regain momentum and brought his Zanpakutō around in a glittering cleave to her side.

Again, her Hierro saved her from what would otherwise have been a killing blow. Tatsuki felt the air rush from her lungs under the force of Grimmjow's strike, falling away from him and trying to regain her footing on the reishi particles around her. _Shit..._ She thought, watching Grimmjow lunge towards her again, _I need to break his momentum again._ Something within her seemed to sense her need, and she felt a sudden burst of reiatsu surge forth from her own chest. _What the...?_

Grimmjow was just about to strike once again, when her reiatsu burst outwards. "Fuck!" He swore throwing himself backwards, and coming up to stare in shock at the woman he'd been fighting. _What the hell is with this reiatsu?_ He thought, _She wasn't putting out nearly this level of power just a second ago... Is this her real strength?_ As he thought about what to do next, his head suddenly began to throb in pain and his vision started to blur. _What?!_

He didn't get another chance to think as Tatsuki vanished, reappearing behind him and punching brutally into the middle of his back, before spinning up and around and kicking down hard into the crown of his skull. The Sexta Espada hurtled to the ground, the sand exploding away from his point of impact in a massive cloud.

Tatsuki examined her hands as her momentum died down, leaving her standing in the air alone. _Is this... my power?_ All around her, she could see faint traces of her own reiatsu drifting lazily through the air. _I see... This is how I got those shinigami to do what I wanted..._ She thought with a small chuckle as understanding began to come to her. _Now I just need to learn how to actually use this power properly._

"We aren't done yet..." Tatsuki's eyes widened in surprise as she heard Grimmjow below her. She tried to find him through the cloud, but the sand obscured her vision too much. "Now I'll show you what real power is. GRIND! PANTERA!"

The sand exploded outwards as an enormous spike of reiatsu burst up from just below her. She saw him standing there, his usual outfit replaced by what looked like a suit of form-fitted body armor, his hair now reaching down to below his knees, and his hands ending in wickedly sharp looking claws. He glared up at her, his fang-like teeth showing in a silent snarl.

"It's over." He said simply, before vanishing faster than Tatsuki could follow and kicking heavily into her stomach. She coughed painfully as his strike connected, but before the force of the blow could knock her away, he grabbed her by the hair, hauled her around and threw her violently at another tower, launching himself after her as she went. As she smashed into the tower, feeling it crack under the force, she saw him streak in like a meteor, and stab his clawed fingers towards her in what would be a decisive killing blow.

His strike stopped a hair's breath from her chest. She lifted her gaze, blurred from the pain, seeing him staring down at her, a contemplative look on his face. He sealed his release once again, the armor and claws vanishing as his Zanpakutō reformed in his hand and his hair shortened. "Not bad kid." He then said with a smile, and her vision blacked out as her consciousness faded.

* * *

 **Alright, another chapter done! Trouble in Soul Society paradise, drama within the Shiba household, and a badass fight between Tatsuki and Grimmjow!**

 **See you next time ;)**


	8. Chapter 8

Tatsuki groaned as she felt her conscious mind begin to resurface. She expected to awake to agony, instead, she found her revival surprisingly pleasant. A few simple aches and pains, but otherwise, nothing major. _Aside from the splitting headache... What the fuck hit me? A fucking jet liner?!_

"Oh? Sleeping beauty awakens eh?" A familiar voice sounded to her right.

 _Shit. Just who I never wanted to wake up to..._ She groaned again, opening her eyes slightly in a frown. "What the fuck do you want now?"

Grimmjow grinned snidely back at her from where he was seated beside her massive bed. "Heh. No need to be like that kid." He chuckled, "I'm just making sure you aren't dead."

"Great. Well you can see that now. Mission accomplished. Now-"

"I also wanted to say..." He interrupted her, his voice sounding... unsure of itself. "...Good job." She blinked in surprise. "You're a hell of a fighter kid. If it hadn't been for the experience gap between us... It probably would have been _me_ waking up with the raging headache." He sounded uncomfortable as he spoke, almost as if he wasn't sure exactly how to compliment someone. "So... good fight."

Tatsuki pushed herself up to a seated position, curling her arms around her knee. She smiled coyly, "Why Grimmjow... If I didn't know better, I'd think you just gave me a compliment. I think I may die of shock." She chuckled lightly.

"Yeah don't get used to it." He stood up, making his way towards the balcony out into the inner dome.

"Hey Grimmjow." She called after him, causing him to turn, a curious eyebrow raised, "Thanks."

He snorted a little laugh, then, grumbling something under his breath, he vanished out into the sands of the inner dome. Tatsuki sat back against the headboard of her bed, a small smile curled across her lips. As she sat there, a door opened to her right and Giri entered quietly.

"I am pleased to see you awake my lady." The maid-like Fraccion bowed as she approached the bed. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm alright Giri-san. If there's one thing I've always been able to do really well, it's bounce back from a beating." Tatsuki rolled onto her hands and knees and then flipped herself up and off of the bed, landing beside the other woman with a slight wobble in her knees. "Woah..." She stumbled slightly before recovering her balance. "Of course... I've never been hit that hard in my life. May need some water..."

Giri bowed slightly, vanishing away with a quick footed sonido. She reappeared a few moments later with a tall drinking glass, handing it to Tatsuki quietly.

Tatsuki blinked in surprise, taking the glass after a few moments and drinking deeply. Cool relief flooded her body as she drank, her headache lessened, and even her aches seemed to retreat. "Haah..." She let out a contented sigh, "Thank you Giri-san."

"It is my pleasure, Tatsuki-sama." Replied the Fraccion, reclaiming the glass. "I must admit though, I was... surprised... when I watched you battle with Grimmjow-sama."

"Oh?" Tatsuki raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." Giri nodded before continuing. "Grimmjow-sama is a seasoned veteran, who's victories and love of combat have been very well known in Hueco Mundo for years. For you to fight so equally against a foe like that... It is truly impressive my lady."

"Thanks. But I've had some practice." Tatsuki grinned, flexing her arm jokingly. "I studied martial arts almost my whole life back when I was human..." She paused, suddenly realizing what she had just said. "When I was human..." Her gaze fell, and she suddenly felt overwhelmed by memories that flooded through her, causing her to stumble backwards once again. Giri moved quickly, catching her mistress before she could fall or hurt herself. However Tatsuki barely noticed, "I was human..." She repeated quietly to herself. "I was human... How the hell did I become what I am?!"

She shook herself free from Giri's grasp, stumbling her way to the balcony. As she felt the light, artificial breeze on her skin, she calmed a little. For some reason, the sight of the inner dome desert helped to soothe her nerves a bit. But even that wasn't enough to completely eliminate her thoughts. Giri approached her cautiously. "Tatsuki-sama...?"

"Where is Shiro-sama?" Tatsuki's voice was cold and angry when she finally spoke.

Giri's face went pale at the tone, "H-he... is probably in the throne room... if not there, then possibly the labs."

Tatsuki turned to face her fraccion, something dangerous had appeared in her eyes. "Take me to him, now."

Giri tried not to let her trembling show as she bowed. "Y-yes Tatsuki-sama. This way."

* * *

The room filled with a blinding flash of light as another Arrancar was created. Shiro observed the latest test with cold, dispassionate eyes. "Hmm. Not quite strong enough to be an Espada. Unfortunate, but unavoidable." He turned to a pair of Arrancar attendants waiting just to the side, "Get him cleaned up and ready to fight."

As the attendants lead the other away, a massively heavy surge of reiatsu nearly flattened them. Shiro glanced up, a small frown flickering across his face. "Ichigo..." Tatsuki stood in the doorway at the top of a short flight of stairs, radiating fury, "What the fuck did you _do_ to me?!"

Shiro gestured to the other Arrancar within the room, many of whom were having difficulty standing under Tatsuki's anger fueled reiatsu. "Leave us." All of them scurried to obey, vanishing swiftly away from what they were certain was about to become a charnel house. Once they were gone, he turned his glare back to Tatsuki. "I guess you've already forgotten what I told you when you first arrived Tatsuki."

"Just answer me dammit!" She shouted, pushing through the sudden surge of fear with pure force of will. "What did you do to me on that riverbank?! How did I become this... this... monster that I am?"

Shiro blinked, surprised to see her still standing, nevermind shouting at him. He took a deep breath, lowering his own reiatsu output. "Calm down Tatsuki. I'll tell you." Her reiatsu lessened slightly, as she stepped into the room. As she reached the bottom of the stairs, she let out a shocked gasp as his vice-like grip closed around her throat lifting her almost two feet off the ground. "If you ever try to threaten me like that again," He hissed up at her, "Tales and legends will be told of your pain. Do you understand me?"

Her eyes went wide as he slowly cut off her ability to breathe. Frantically she nodded as best she could, clawing at his fingers, trying to pry them off. He glared up at her for another couple seconds, before dropping her unceremoniously to crumple into a gasping, coughing heap on the floor.

"Now then." His voice brightened, taking on the tone of a cordial host. "You asked what it was I did to you yes?" He stepped over to a pedestal in the middle of the room. Pressing a small button, the pedestal opened to reveal a small glittering jewel. "I used this." He took the jewel and returned to where Tatsuki was struggling to push herself back to her feet. "This is the Hōgyoku, a fascinating device that helps manifest the wielder's desires into the world."

Tatsuki slowly climbed back to her feet, staring at the blue sphere as it glinted in the odd half light of the room. "H-how..." She coughed violently, still struggling to breathe slightly. "How did that turn me into... this?"

Shiro smiled, his eyes cold, "That day on the riverbank, when you asked what it was I wanted with you, do you remember what I said?" She shook her head slowly, all she could remember was the fear, overpowering and consuming everything. "I said that I 'wanted you to become my new weapon.'" He grinned cruely, "That wasn't just for your ears however. That was my desire that I wished the Hōgyoku to make reality." He stroked a hand gently across her cheek, the action chilling her to the very soul. "It reacted to my will, I suspect, by taking a portion of my own reiatsu and infusing it into your soul. After that, your body became stronger, your powers began to develop and surface, and by the time you awakened in Soul Society, you had been reforged. Reborn as a mightily powerful Arrancar, the better to serve as my weapon."

She stepped back, away from him, "Then... I... I can't go back... can I?" She hugged herself slightly, thinking of all that had suddenly been taken from her. Her family, her friends, her very humanity... gone.

"No. Unless they possessed a particularly powerful soul, no one in the world of the living can see you anymore." He turned away, pocketting the Hōgyoku and walking around the room, "Besides, what did you truly have there? A family, yes. Friends? I have little doubt that you can make friends wherever you are Tatsuki. Your life there? What was it really? A high school education, and the annual first place martial arts champion's trophy for your age bracket." He stopped, looking back to her, an oddly warm smile on his face. "I have given you a virtually immortal body. Powers beyond the scope of human imagination. And a purpose, one that may indeed help to shape the fate of multiple _worlds_. Tatsuki... I chose you to become my instrument of death. Ulquiorra, Nelliel, Grimmjow, all of the other Espada, they were allies that I stole from a former enemy. But I _chose_ to bring you into this life."

She lowered her gaze, unsure of what to say.

"You once asked Kurosaki Ichigo to 'let you in.'" Her gaze snapped up at that, it had been the last time she'd spoken to him before he became Shiro. "You asked him to tell you the truth. Perhaps if he had... if he had trusted you to believe him, and to be strong..." He looked down at his own hand, his gaze was almost melancholy. "Perhaps he may have survived..." He looked back to her, another smile curling onto his lips, "That's why I chose you, Tatsuki. Because you have the strength, and because Kurosaki Ichigo was a fool."

"Shiro..." She felt a sudden warmth rise in her chest. "You really think that I'm strong enough?" He nodded, still smiling. "Then I'll do everything I can to prove you right." She nodded, turning to leave, "Oh... And I promise not to tell anyone about your little display of emotion there," She grinned back at him, "I know you have a reputation to keep up." With that, she ran back up the stairs and vanished into the hallway.

Shiro watched her go, his smile slowly changing into a small smirk. "Putty in my hands..." He said after her reiatsu had disappeared into the depths of Las Noches once again. "Honestly... That poor girl really did think the absolute world of Kurosaki, it's sad really."

"And yet, your reasons for choosing her are indeed as you said, Shiro-sama." Ulquiorra stepped out from behind a bank of machinery. "You did choose her for her natural strength, and to spite the memory of the man you once were."

"How long were you hiding there, Ulquiorra?" Shiro didn't even bother to turn and face the Espada.

"Since just before Arisawa-san arrived. I sensed her reiatsu coming towards you, and decided it would be best to be ready in case she tried to attack."

"Hmph." He walked over to the pedestal, returning the Hōgyoku to it's resting place and sealing it away with a small burst of his own reiatsu. "You shouldn't have bothered. I was never in any danger from Tatsuki."

"Perhaps not." Ulquiorra nodded, "But why force you to waste your energy on a pointless battle when I would be more than enough?"

Shiro let out a small laugh, turning to leave the lab. Ulquiorra fell naturally into step behind him. "Ulquiorra, it's times like this that make me very happy I didn't kill you that day."

Ulquiorra bowed slightly, before turning down a different hallway. "Forgive me Shiro-sama, I have other duties to attend to." He vanished away with a sonido, leaving Shiro alone, laughing coldly.

* * *

Tatsuki breathed heavily, sweat falling from her face as she knelt atop one of the seemingly endless dunes of the inner dome. Grimmjow floated above her, his released form radiating deadly purpose as he waited for her to regain her footing. "Come on kid, you aren't seriously done yet are you?" He sneered down at her, preparing to lunge at her once more. It had been a week and a half since their first fight, and the two of them had battled almost daily since, Tatsuki quickly learning how to use her natural Arrancar abilities.

"Fuck no!" She snarled, vanishing into a quick series of sonidos, trying to throw the older Espada off by reappearing in dozens of places all around him. As she moved, she focused on spreading her pheromones all across the battleground.

Unfortunately, Grimmjow was faster. Undeterred by the phantom-like afterimages of his opponent, he swiftly vanished, reappearing outside of the forming pheromone cloud and firing off a brutally powerful cero.

Tatsuki threw herself to the side as the blast roared past her, retaliating with a cero of her own. This was met with a second cero from Grimmjow that rocked the entire desert with the resulting explosion. Shielding her eyes from the blowing sand and wind kicked up by the detonation, Tatsuki rolled instinctively to the side, smiling as she heard his clawed fingers whistle through the space where her chest had been. "Gottcha!" She grinned, releasing a sudden burst of pheromones meant to disorient her opponent.

"Shit!" Grimmjow coughed, his enhanced senses effected more potently by the scent based attack. His vision swam and his mind seemed to cloud over as he swept his claws back and forth, stumbling back trying to clear his thoughts. "Fucking cheap shot bullshit!"

As he swore, Tatsuki's pair of gauntlet-like Zanpakutō crushed in, one punching into his throat, while the second connected with his jaw. She pressed her advantage, keeping the pheromones up as heavily as she could while focusing the rest of her reiatsu into the deadly puncturing spikes on her gauntlet's knuckles.

Leaping backwards, Grimmjow shook his head violently, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "When the fuck did your reiatsu get so fucking huge kid?" He laughed. For Tatsuki to be able to hold her own against his release was unprecedented. Usually the spike in reiatsu and strength that it gave him was enough to end the fight in short order.

She laughed, lunging after him. "Blame Shiro-sama and his creepy wonder-jewel." She appeared just above him and drove her knee down into the back of his head, "He thinks that it used a bit of his reiatsu to jump-start my powers."

As her strike connected, he rolled forward with it, lashing his legs up and around to kick brutally into her stomach. "Fuck. And you still haven't even used your release." They both came up, facing each other across a small distance, "You're a scary bitch, kid." He grinned, honestly surprised by how much he enjoyed fighting the young martial artist.

"You're one to talk, mister 'kill the girl in her sleep to train her.'" She replied, grinning back.

They both laughed before dropping back down to the sands, Grimmjow resealing his Zanpakutō as he went. As they landed, Hallibel appeared in the flicker of a sonido, "There you two are." She said, "If you are done beating each other to death, Shiro-sama has called an Espada meeting."

"Oh?" Grimmjow chuckled, "Is he finally going to give us something to do?"

The blonde Espada shrugged, turning to lead the way as they all vanished in a sonido towards the throne room. "I honestly don't know." She said as they reappeared at the entrance to the hall, "I think he's finally filled out the Espada ranks again. So perhaps he'll be announcing new rankings."

"It's taken way too damn long to find the last three." Grimmjow grumbled, "Especially since he had Nel and the kid over here practically ready made within a month."

"Hey, I have a name you know." Tatsuki punched his shoulder as they walked.

"Yeah, and until you actually beat me in a fight, I'll never use it."

By then, they had reached the throne room. Shiro was seated, a patient look on his face, and the figures of seven others quickly stood out as Tatsuki's vision adjusted. "Ah, Grimmjow, Tatsuki," Shiro grinned as he caught site of them, "Glad to see you could join us." He rose, gesturing for the other Espada to gather at the base of the stairs. "Now then, we finally have ten Espada once more. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you all for your patience, and to redistribute rankings as is now appropriate."

Barragan snorted derisively as he looked at his peers, "I doubt that anything will really change."

"Who cares..." Stark yawned, "Let's just get this over with."

"Very well," Shiro walked down to join them, "I've taken my time in making these decisions. I have watched you all as you've trained and gone about your 'day to day', and I am confident that these choices will make sense to all of you eventually. The Cero Espada is from now on, Ulquiorra Scifer."

" _WHAT?!_ " Barragan let out a roar of outrage. "How could the Cuarto suddenly warrant such a promotion?"

Shiro silenced the raging older man with a glare, "If you ever see him actually fight for real, you will learn that for yourself." He then turned to Ulquiorra, "You'll need to show them soon. Otherwise you'll never be able to hold your position for long." The new Cero Espada nodded passively. "Good. Now then, the Primera Espada remains Coyote Stark." Stark simply yawned again, nodding as he did. "The Segunda Espada will be Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck." Barragan gave the beautiful teal haired woman a mutinous glare, but said nothing. Nel bowed, a bright smile radiating from her features. "The Tres Espada is Barragan Ruizenbān." The old, one eyed Espada grumbled, clearly disappointed by the demotion. "The Cuarto Espada is Arisawa Tatsuki."

Both Grimmjow's and Hallibel's gazes snapped to the stunned girl as her rank was announced, they both radiated disbelief, but wisely said nothing as Shiro continued. "Tia Hallibel, you are the Quinto Espada. Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez remains the Sexta. The Septima Espada is Visal Mars."

This announcement was met by a triumphant laugh from a massively large man dressed in what looked like the garb of a Roman Gladiator, his mask took the form of a full headed, spiked helmet. He brandished a short Gladius style Zanpakutō in salute to his king.

Shiro nodded to him before continuing, "The Octava is Raiche Luraunt." The new Octava was a slender man, dressed in a flamboyant long coat, the collar of his shirt poofed out in a small mass of frills, and a wide brimmed, feathered hat sat atop his head, a portion of which seemed to reach down, covering his left eye, Tatsuki realized that the hat itself seemed to be his mask fragment. A long, wickedly sharp rapier hung at his waist. Tatsuki couldn't help but think that he looked like the old depictions of French Musketeers, but decidedly more... extravagant. He bowed low at the placement. "And finally, the Noveno Espada is Sun Shira."

The final Espada was an odd sight. Tatsuki recognized his outfit as a variant of a Kung Fu uniform, and his Zanpakutō seemed to be a long staff, each of it's ends forming into a club-like head. He leaned against the staff hard enough that she was impressed it hadn't snapped under his weight, and every now and then, he would take a heavy swig from a large gord he carried. As Shiro introduced him, he raised the gord in toast and took another drink, almost falling over. Even with the distance of a few yards, she could smell the stench of alcohol. _Wow... I've never seen anyone that drunk before._ She thought.

"I trust that nobody has any problems with these new rankings?" Shiro looked around, his gaze daring any of them to speak up. Barragan still seemed to be upset that Nel had somehow supplanted him, and Grimmjow still stared disbelievingly at Tatsuki, but no one seemed willing to actually challenge their King's decisions. "Good. Then come with me."

Tatsuki felt like she was in a daze as she walked, trailing slightly behind the rest of the other Espada. _I'm the Cuarto...? How? There's no way that I'm stronger than Hallibel-san is there?_ Hallibel walked just ahead of her, head bowed in thought. Tatsuki hurried to catch up with her. "Hallibel-san, I-"

"I cannot say that I am entirely surprised by this." The newly christened Quinto interrupted, turning to look at her as they walked. "I've suspected that you were powerful since you first arrived, and my suspicions were confirmed during your first fight against Grimmjow."

"But... how could I possibly be stronger than you?" She asked, still in shocked disbelief at the whole scenario. "I can only barely hold my own against Grimmjow's released form... that doesn't exactly inspire the greatest confidence in my abilities as the Cuarto does it?"

Hallibel shook her head slightly, "I will trust that Shiro-sama knows what he's doing. And as for your abilities, I took a moment to watch your most recent duel with Grimmjow earlier. Your powers are still slightly unstable, in part I suspect, due to your lack of confidence. But more importantly, you fought him to a standstill in his released form. That sort of strength should not be underestimated."

"It's like you said earlier I guess..." Grimmjow suddenly appeared beside them, his expression slightly unreadable, "'Blame Shiro-sama and his creepy wonder-jewel.' If that thing turned his reiatsu into the base for your powers... the potential there is kinda scary."

Hallibel nodded in agreement. "I guess that explain's Nelliel-dono's rather unexpected rank as well. Although I find it slightly distasteful that you refer to the Hōgyoku as a 'creepy wonder-jewel'."

As the three of them spoke quietly, Shiro led the group down a set of hallways and into a meeting room with a long ovular table. "Have a seat all of you." The Espada seated themselves, with Shiro taking the head of the table. "Now then," he clapped, and a low ranking Arrancar attendant entered, moving to a small bank of machines and activating one. A projection screen in the middle of the table lit up, showing a bird's eye view of the Seireitei. "Who want's to kill some Shinigami?"

The Espada all blinked between themselves before looking back to their king, Visal Mars was the first to speak, "My lord, while I revel at the opportunity to clash with the Shinigami, may I ask what is it that compels you intend to attack them so boldly?"

Shiro grinned, as the image on the projector changed to an impressively well detailed map of the Shinigami's base of power. "While we have been gathering our power over the last month or so, I assure you that the Shinigami have as well. They are cautious of my strength i believe, which is why they haven't attacked us directly yet. But make no mistake, they will attack if we allow them to." He looked around the table, ensuring that he had their full attention. "So I say, why wait? I plan to cripple the Shinigami so that they cannot ever rise against us again. We are going to break their will to fight."

Mars and Sun Shira both cheered excitedly, Grimmjow's lips curled into a predatory smile, even Stark seemed to feel the excitement in the air. Shiro lifted a small book as he continued, "Aizen Sosuke left behind an impressively detailed set of notes and thoughts on the overall defenses of the Seireitei. And my memories from Kurosaki Ichigo also give me a rather effective advantage." He grinned, "Aizen rarely trusted you all with much in the way of insight into his plans, I intend to do better, so to do that, I need you all to pay close attention."

The next two hours went by in a blur of information as Shiro explained in terrifying detail everything Kurosaki Ichigo and Aizen Sosuke's notes had learned about the defenses of Soul Society. Finally, as he finished, he asked, "Are there any questions?" When no one spoke, he grinned. "Excellent. Now then we have one last item of business to attend to. Come with me." He once again led them out of the meeting hall and towards the labs. As they walked he spoke again, "Now, for those of you who are unfamiliar with him, our new Octava Espada is a bit of a tinkerer and inventor." Raiche Luraunt smiled and inclined his head ever so slightly. "I created him weeks ago with the Hōgyoku in hopes that he'd be able to help me with one definitive problem that we will have in our battle against the Shinigami."

"Shall I explain, my lord?" Luraunt asked. At Shiro's nod, he continued, "The previous Espada were all bested in combat by the Captains of the Gotei 13. I hope that I am not overstepping my rank when I hypothesize that the outcome of the battle above Karakura town would have inevitably ended similarly, had Shiro-sama not intervened." Barragan snorted derisively, but said nothing. "And so, when he raised me up from a mere hollow to the rank of Arrancar, Shiro-sama tasked me with finding a solution. And now, I believe that I have."

By this point they had entered a room containing a large machine, comprised of ten pod like devices all placed around an eleventh in the middle. Luraunt gave a small flourish. "This device shall allow our master to bestow upon us each, a portion of his vast power." When the others blinked in confusion, Luraunt sighed. "The device will draw forth Shiro-sama's unfathomable reiatsu, divide portions of it off, fuse it with our own reiatsu and then return it to us." He explained, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. When still nobody reacted, he let out an exacerbated groan. "Ugh. It makes us stronger at the expense of some of Shiro-sama's power. Honestly... _this_ is why I cannot work with uneducated _neanderthals_." He grumbled, stalking away to a console set into the machine.

"How much of your power will you be sacrificing, Shiro-sama?" Ulquiorra was the first to finally speak up. The others all slowly realized what they were being offered, their expressions growing surprised.

"Roughly half of my current reiatsu." Shiro stepped forward, no longer grinning. "I will not lie, this is a gamble on my part. I will weaken myself temporarily, so that you each my survive the coming battle. Once the process is done, it will take me another week to return to my full strength, and then we will commence the attack. And Barragan," The old man looked up at his name, "If you attempt to betray me while I am weakened, know that you had better have at least half the Espada behind you when you do. Because I will rip you apart otherwise."

The color in Barragan's face vanished and he shook his head almost desperately. "No, Shiro-sama, I'll not be attempting any coups. You've already proven your dominance, in the way of a true Hollow as well. Not with trickery and deception like that bastard Aizen. If I ever attempt to overthrow you, it will be on equal footing. As a _true_ King would."

Grimmjow laughed, "Well, well. Look at you bein' all honorable Barragan. I'm surprised."

"Be silent whelp." Barragan's single eye turned to face the blue haired man, "Shiro-sama has proven his worth. _You_ I will happily kill here and now."

The two glared each other down, before Nel pushed her way between them, "Yes, yes, that's all very nice. Boy's and their machismo posturing... Honestly... We have work to do, so knock it off, both of you." Barragan snorted in disgust, turning away, while Grimmjow simply sneered.

"If you barbarians are quite finished brandishing your clubs at each other." Luraunt's voice pulled their attention back to the machine just as the eleven pod doors swung silently open. "We are ready to begin."

They each took up position within a pod, Mars fidgeting uncomfortably as he was almost to big to fit. Shiro stood in the center pod as it closed shut and began to float silently upwards to the rest of the machine. Luraunt nodded to an attendant from his own pod. The weaker Arrancar pressed a button on the console before her, and the doors of the pods swung closed. Tatsuki could still hear Mars cursing as she lay back, waiting for the process to be over.

Shiro's pod reached a small indent in the machine's center and everything went brilliantly white. The machine itself began to emit a high pitched whining noise as the light intensified, and then, Tatsuki's world ignited in pain. She let out a startled yell, hearing several of the others do so as well, as her reiatsu was forcibly drawn from her. The whining noise of the machine grew louder, and louder, before there was a final, blinding flash of light and pain, and Tatsuki's vision went black.

* * *

"Oye...Oye... Arisawa-dono, you alive?" Tatsuki groaned, her head throbbing in pain as she opened her eyes, finding Sun Shira blinking down at her. "Ah good." He grinned widely as he saw her eyes, taking a deep drink from his gourd, "Wassh shtartin' to worry you'd gone 'nd died on ussh shomhow." He offered her a helping hand up.

"Ugh... my head feels like it's been hit by a truck..." She said, accepting the help up from where she'd slumped down in her pod. "What the hell happened?"

"The procedure was a complete success!" Luraunt grinned smugly, looking like he'd just won some kind of prize.

"The hell it was! How the hell is knocking our asses out a 'complete success'?" Grimmjow snarled, grabbing the foppish inventor by the frill of his shirt, "I ought to crush your fucking skull for that you little-"

"Grimmjow..." Shiro's voice rang out as he climbed unsteadily from his own pod. "That's enough... Luraunt is correct. I can sense the increase in your power..." He seemed to be having difficulty standing straight, he stumbled slightly before Nel appeared beside him catching him. "The process has... unfortunately left me drained... You all are dismissed for today. While I recover, you all are to train, get used to your new strength, and select any Fraccions you wish to take with you into battle. Once I'm back on my feet..." His smile, even in his weakened state, caused them all to shiver in fear. "We will remind Soul Society why they should fear us."

* * *

The Gotei 13's Bureau of Research and Development was abuzz with activity as usual, perhaps even more so since the appearance of the Arrancar calling himself Shiro. They monitored the World of the Living closely, watching for any hint of a hollow attack, however nothing had happened for almost two months. In fact there hadn't been a single recorded hollow emergence since Shrio had appeared.

It was enough to make Division Chief Akon a little nervous.

"Still nothing?" He asked, walking between various computer banks. "The Captain'll have our heads if we miss something."

"There's nothing sir." A shinigami spoke up from one of the terminals. "It's almost as if the hollows just stopped existing..."

"More likely, they are all in Hueco Mundo, gathered by the strength of the self proclaimed 'Hollow King'." The voice of Urahara Kisuke echoed from the door. "He's likely gathered them all in preparation for something."

"You mean he intends to attack the Seireitei?" Akon felt a shiver run down his spine.

"It's difficult to say." Kisuke frowned. "Shiro is... difficult to predict. He has unprecedented knowledge of the Seireitei, from his memories, and a decidedly... twisted personality. I honestly cannot say what he has planned... but I can guarantee that it won't be good for us."

As the words left his mouth, almost as if they were the trigger, alarms began flashing all across the room. Akon whirled around, rushing to the nearest computer, "What's happening?"

"We're detecting large numbers of hollows sir. They're appearing in the Rukon districts in unprecedented numbers! I'm also picking up the reiatsu signatures of dozens... no... possibly even a hundred Arrancars..." The Shinigami's face paled with fear, "Sir... w-we're under attack... on a scale that's never been seen before..."

Kisuke rushed from the room, his Zanpakutō already in his hands. The war had begun again.

* * *

 **Ok then, set up chapters done. Coming up, the war begins and people start to die.**

 **A couple of you have expressed displeasure with how powerful I've made some of the characters, (specifically Shiro and Tatsuki) And while I realize that the way they've shaped out kinda turns them into a pair of "Wish Fulfillment" characters, let's be honest, where else can I write out my wish fulfillment fantasies than in a fanfiction? That being said, yes, I realize that they seem to be a bit overpowered. If this annoys you in some way, I am really sorry, but I'm a little too far into it to really change them now**

 **For those of you who had been hoping for relationship pairings by now, I'm sorry if what's about to come disappoints any of you.**

 **Also, a lot of you are probably wondering what I am planning to do with Inoue, and to you all, I answer: nothing for now. But once this upcoming battle is finished, she will begin to matter within the story again.**

 **Anyways, hope you all enjoy what is to come. I know that I have had way too much fun writing this story up thus far, so I dearly wish for you all to share in that enjoyment. (Also... please don't hate me for what is to come... _Please?_ )**

 **See you all next time :)**


	9. Chapter 9

Visal Mars let loose an exultant roar as he led a veritable army of hollows and arrancars through the streets of the Rukon district towards the Seireitei. "At last! We sally forth to _WAR!_ " He sweapt his short bladed Zanpakutō forward, signalling for his forces to charge.

The forces of Hueco Mundo were pouring forth from a massive series of Gargantas, with Mars, Sun Shira, and Grimmjow making up the vanguard strike force. Shiro watched the three Espada rush excitedly towards the home of the Shinigami with a smile on his lips. "Hello Seireitei..." He chuckled to himself, "I'm back." He gestured forward, signalling more of his hollows to charge in behind the vanguard. "We have the overwhelming advantage in numbers." He shouted, "Use it well, and _Burn_ the Seireitei to the ground!"

The hollows all replied by letting loose the signature howl of their kind. The sound echoed across Soul Society, as thousands of lesser hollows, and hundreds of Menos Gillians roared and howled in pure bloodlust. They swept through the Rukon district like a tidal wave of death, laying everything before them to ruin and death as they went.

Barragan laughed as he followed a core of Gillians, ensuring that they stayed on course to the gate of the Seireitei. "Now _this_ is how a true King attacks his foes!"

"I agree." Raiche Luraunt appeared behind him, grinning widely. "It has been centuries since Hueco Mundo was so united and mobilized. We are now the stuff of _Legends_! Win or lose, we bear witness to the making of history this day."

Barragan chuckled, looking back at the affluent Octava Espada, "You're even more of a foppish dandy than you look, using that flowery language of yours." He looked forward once again, firing a mighty cero into a line of buildings. "But you are right. Not since the days of Arturo-sama have we been so powerful. It fills my old bones with joy and pride to be on the front lines this time!"

Hallibel, Stark, and Ulquiorra moved together, leading a massive contingent of Menos towards the Seireitei. As they moved, Stark couldn't help but chuckle, "Gotta hand it to Shiro-sama..." He looked around as the massive tide of hollows rained destruction down upon the defenseless Rukon district, "He said he wanted to destroy this place... he really wasn't kidding."

"And that is the key difference between him and Aizen-sama." Said Ulquiorra, watching passively as a Menos unleashed a powerful cero upon a group of helpless souls. "Aizen wanted to rule as a god. Shiro-sama has no such lofty ambitions. He simply wishes to rule the world he's earned, but to do so properly, he needs to destroy his enemies completely."

Hallibel nodded. "Indeed... When you think about it, Aizen-sama never once put his true faith in us. He told us to never trust anyone... even himself... Shiro-sama though... He trusted us enough to give us a portion of his own strength so that we could win this." She placed a hand against her breast as she spoke, "For all his aloofness, for all the fear that he inspires in others, Shiro-sama seems to genuinely care about us as his subjects."

Nelliel stood motionless beside Shiro, watching the destruction with a bright smile on her lips. "It's so beautiful..." She sighed, "The flames look like something out of a painting."

"Oh?" Shiro crooked an eyebrow at her, "And here I thought you disliked violence."

"Usually I do." She nodded, "But the destruction of Soul Society was why we Arrancar were created in the first place. To see it coming true... it's oddly moving."

He chuckled, "Heh... Ever the romantic at heart, aren't you Nel?"

"Would you really have me any other way?" She practically purred, snaking her arms around his neck.

"Focus Nel." He interrupted before she could go any further. "There will be time enough to celebrate once the Seireitei is ashes. But until then, I need my Segunda Espada to focus on the fight."

She pouted, letting go of him and turning to face the burning Rukon district. "Fine then party pooper." Giving him a mischievous wink, she grinned, "You'd better not be standing me up Shiro-sama." With that, she leaped away, launching herself after the tide of gillians as they marched on the walls of Seireitei.

"Well, well..." A voice sounded from behind him, "It's nice to see you finally showing some interest in a girl, Ichigo." Tatsuki stepped forward, grinning.

"Tatsuki. Shouldn't you be out there killing things?" Shiro turned to her, his expression curious.

"I didn't really feel like wasting my energy on the small fry of the Rukon district," She shrugged, "So I sent Giri-san out with a group of hollows. May as well feed the troops while we can right?"

"Hmm. Perhaps you're right... Still, I don't like the idea of you eavesdropping on me."

"Apologies oh Shiro-sama." She bowed, still smiling. "I'm just happy to finally see you in a good mood. They're rare enough as it is."

Shiro laughed, turning back towards the invasion, "Come on, it looks like the other Espada have reached the gate." He vanished in a flickering sonido, with Tatsuki right behind him.

They reappeared a minute later standing before the great southern gate of the Seireitei. Grimmjow let out a low whistle. "Damn... that's an impressive gate." He said, grinning. "Tough too. The Gillians can't even scratch it."

"Why do you think I brought all ten Espadas with me?" Shiro said, drawing his Zanpakutō halfway and cutting his hand lightly on the blade, then reaching up and smearing the blood along the end of his mask horn. As he did, a cero began to charge, absorbing the blood and changing color to a deep black, tinged with red.

The other Espada each realized what he intended to do, and followed suit, cutting themselves slightly and charging a cero. A few moments later, eleven voices roared, "GRAND RAY CERO!"

* * *

Alarms began ringing through the Seireitei even before the reiatsu appeared, causing the Shinigami to look up from their various duties. When the truly massive wave of reiatsu erupted up from the south Rukon, several of them went deathly pale. Then the smoke began to rise.

Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai gazed out from his office as the sky to the south darkened to pitch black. He felt his grip tighten on his staff, "So you've come... Shiro."

Hitsugaya Toshiro felt his knees go weak as he noticed the sheer number of hollows that were attacking beyond the gate. "This won't end well for anyone..." He said, gripping the hilt of his Zanpakutō tightly.

Kuchiki Byakuya frowned, quickly making his way towards the invasion point. His lieutenant Abarai Renji followed closely behind him.

Komamura Sajin felt the fur along the back of his neck bristle. "Damn... I thought we'd have more time..."

In the Squad Eleven barracks, Zaraki Kenpachi let loose an insane bout of laughter. "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! FINALLY!" He roared, grabbing his Zanpakutō and rushing out of the building, his lieutenant Yachiru, and Third Seat Madarame Ikkaku right behind him. "I've been so fucking _BORED_ waiting for this!"

Ukitake Jushiro and Kyouraku Shunsui both looked up from the drink they'd been sharing, the massive wave of reiatsu instantly sobering them both. "Holy damn..." Kyouraku said quietly, "That Shiro doesn't do things halfway does he?"

Shiba Isshin looked up as the southern skys darkened with smoke. "Ichigo..." He felt his entire form go numb. "I need to kill my own son..."

In the Squad Four Infirmary, Hirako Shinji sat bolt upright, startling the other Vizard in the room. "ICHIGO!" He roared in fury.

Elsewhere in the Infirmary, Unohana Retsu frowned darkly. "I had really hoped that it would not come to this..." She turned to her lieutenent, "Isane, my sword."

"You're going to the front line?!" Isane stared wide eyed at her normally gentle captain.

"This is not a battle for half measures. Every Captain will need to be ready to battle." Her expression saddened, "Esspecially me..."

Urahara Kisuke rushed through the Seireitei, his Zanpakutō drawn, and his expression extremely dark. "Shiro... I have to kill you. I need to be the one to fix this..."

"Kisuke!" He blinked in surprise as Shihouin Yoruichi and Soi Fong appeared beside him, "Don't do anything stupid to get yourself killed. You hear me?"

Kisuke nodded slightly, his expression still dark. "I need to fix this Yoruichi... This whole mess is my fault."

Yoruichi frowned, seeing her old friend's face. "Kisuke..."

* * *

Kurosaki Yuzu screamed in terror as the wave of reiatsu washed over her. Karin rushed to her side, struggling to calm the poor girl.

"Yuzu! Yuzu! It's ok... I'm here." She grabbed her sister, pulling her into a tight hug, pinning her flailing arms to her side. "It's ok..." She said again calmly, "You're ok... I'm here..."

Yuzu continued to scream, until she feinted, both from exhaustion and from the fear. Karin carried her sister through the house to their room, laying her down gently and covering her with the blanket.

Getting back to her feet, she rushed back out into the garden, staring up at the southern sky. "What the hell _is_ that...?" She felt the cold grip of fear close around her heart.

* * *

Sado Yasutora looked up as he felt the reiatsu, "Hollows... a lot of them..." He rushed from the cave he'd been using as a training location, praying he'd make it in time to be able to help.

Ishida Uryuu felt the color drain from his face. "Shit..." He threw himself from his cot in the Squad Four Infirmary, grabbing his belt as he went. _Dammit!_ He thought as he ran, _Without my left hand... this is going to be bad..._

* * *

The defenders of the Seireitei gathered before the southern gate, many of them nervous at the enormous mass of reiatsu just on the other side of the Seikiseiki wall. Yamamoto appeared in the flicker of a shunpo, calling the gathered captains to him. "This will be a difficult battle." He said, "The walls will buy us a little bit of time to prepare a counter attack, but be fully prepared for the enemy to break through."

"Just how many hollows has Shiro _brought_ to this fight?" Ukitake asked, gripping his Zanpakutō tightly.

"The most recent count from my squad is well over two thousand basic hollows." Said Kurotsuchi Mayuri, "As well as possibly two hundred Menos Gillians, and close to a hundred Arrancar of varying strength." He grinned widely, "I'll need to remember to thank him for providing me with so much raw research material..."

"This isn't the time Captain Kurotsuchi." Hitsugaya said, his face growing paler as he heard the numbers they were facing.

"Hitsugaya's right," Said Komamura, "This is a fight for our very survival... not a time for shopping for new toys to play with in your lab."

As Komamura and Mayuri glared each other down, a massive booming roar sounded from the other side of the gate. The roar continued as the seconds dragged on, seeming to grow louder and fiercer as it did. Yamamoto was the first to see the cracks forming in the gate. "GET BACK!" He yelled, just before a cataclysm tore the gate apart in a massive explosion, the eleven enormous cero beams cutting a swath of devastation straight up the middle of the Seireitei, all the way to the central tower.

Hundreds of Shinigami died instantly, caught in the path of the massive cero blasts. The Captains all stared in shock at the destruction. A voice suddenly laughed from the smoking ruins of the gate, "Hey Shiro-sama, I think we may have killed a few of our own hollows with the reiatsu from that attack alone."

"It doesn't matter." Shiro stepped forward through the smoke. "If they couldn't survive the reiatsu from that, then they would never survive what's to come." He grinned cruelly at the gathered Shinigami. "And look who has come to greet us... A veritable 'who's who' of Soul Society's best and brightest."

The smoke cleared slowly as ten other figures stepped up into a group just behind their King. Behind them, seemingly endless ranks of hollows gathered at the gate, awaiting the signal to charge.

Hitsugaya glared at Hallibel, drawing his blade and readying for battle. "This time..." He said quietly, "I won't hold back."

Kyouraku nodded, drawing his own twin Zanpakutō. "Mmm, this isn't exactly a fight we can take it easy for." He eyed his previous opponent Stark, noticing his young female Fraccion was still with him. _Hmm... he has his Fraccion... why doesn't anyone else?_

As the groups stared each other down, Shiro suddenly lifed his head, looking off to the side. "Hmm? This reiatsu..." He leaped into the air, "Ulquiorra, take command here for a little bit. There's something I want to investigate. Hollows!" He glared down at the gathered Shinigami, "Kill them all."

With that, he vanished away with a sonido. A howling, screaming roar erupted from the hollows as they rushed through the gate and poured into the Seireitei like a flood. The ten Espada also rushed forward, weapons drawn and ready to butcher any who got in their way.

* * *

Karin had managed to climb up onto the mansion roof, just as the massive cero cut it's way through the Seireitei. "Holy shit!" She shouted, watching the wave of devastation rip a scar into the city. Looking back towards the south gate, she saw figures outside of the ruins, tiny with the several kilometer distance, but still giant enough to see from where she stood.

She stood dumbfounded for almost a full minute, "Are those... hollows...?" She finally managed to ask aloud as she watched them rush into the Seireitei, unleashing even more destruction as they went.

"Indeed they are." A deep voice sounded directly behind her. "Impressive aren't they?"

Karin let out a scream, leaping away from the figure who had suddenly appeared while trying to turn to face him at the same time. She lost her footing as she landed, collapsing in a small heap and starting to roll down and off the slanted roof.

Before she hit the ground however, something caught her, lowering her down to the ground gently. "So clumsy, that's not like you Karin."

She felt her heart stop as the voice spoke. _No... He told me he died..._ Looking up, she saw the white hakama pants, a black Zanpakutō set into the sash. _Are you really...?_ Her gaze continued to rise, when the face finally came into view, she felt tears start to form in her eyes. "Ichi-nii..."

Ichigo gazed down at her, his black yellow eyes seemed surprised to even see her. The horned mask fragment atop his head catching the light and glinting dangerously. "Hello Karin."

"You... You're alive... h-he told us you died..." Her tears were falling freely as she rushed forward, hugging him tightly. "Th-that lying b-bastard of a dad... He said you got kil..." Her eyes fell on the hole in his chest. "No... nonononono... It's not true..."

Shiro closed his eyes, feeling the emotions that he'd been sure were dead begin to rise within him once again. "It's... true. I'm an Arrancar."

"NO!" She screamed, clutching at his shirt. "NO! You _can't_ be... I need my brother back dammit!"

"I'm sorry Karrin..." He was shocked to find that he actually meant it too. Kneeling down, he locked eyes with her, "What are you doing here in the Seireitei Karin? How did you even get here?"

"Dad brought us here." Shiro blinked in surprise. "He's a Shinigami. I think they made him the new captain of Squad Nine or something... but he told us that you got killed by a hollow, and that hollow was threatening the rest of Soul Society, so he had to help them kill it..." Her hand clapped over her mouth as her eyes widened in horrified shock. "Oh god... It's you... you're the hollow he was talking about..." She backed slowly away from him.

Shiro felt an anger suddenly ignite in his chest. "So... he was a Shinigami the whole time huh...?" He looked back to Karin, his thoughts on her existence within the stronghold of his enemy conflicted. "Come with me Karin..." He held out his hand, "I'll take you with me, to my new home."

She shook her head silently, still backing away from him. Shiro was about to move towards her when a voice roared out above them. "GETSUGA TENSHOU!" A huge blast of white reiatsu slammed into the ground between the two, causing Shiro to jump backwards, landing on the roof as Isshin landed in front of Karin. "You stay the hell away from my daughter you monster."

"That's rich, coming from a lying fool like you." Shiro glared down at the man who had once been his father. "So _Dad_. You're one of them eh? I suppose I should have known, somewhere in my heart." He leaped backwards into the air. "If we're going to do this, I won't have my sister watch me tear my own father's head off." He then vanished away in a sonido.

Isshin immediately turned to his daughter. "Are you alright?" He knelt down, his hand on her shoulder. "He didn't hurt you did he?"

Her gaze was distant. "Y-you... you told us he... was d-dead..."

"And he is. That... _thing_... It may have his face, but it's not your brother. It's a monster, it-"

"YOU TOLD ME HE WAS DEAD!" She suddenly screamed, slapping his hand away. "You told me that he'd been killed, and you had to go fight the thing that killed him. YOU LIED TO ME!"

"Karin... I-"

" _NO!_ " She shrieked. "I'M THROUGH LISTENING TO YOU! You lied to me. You lied to Yuzu. You're trying to kill your own SON!" The air rang out as she slapped him. "You are no father. You're just as much of a monster as he is now..." She turned, running from the house into the Seireitei.

Isshin tried to rise. Tried to run after her. But her words rang through his mind over and over. _You are no father..._ He felt his entire frame go numb, as all of the strength left him. _You are no father..._ His legs gave out, dropping him to a seated position. _You are no father..._ Isshin threw back his head and screamed in pain.

* * *

"Yes! Give me more!" Visal Mars laughed as he clashed with Komamura. The two seemed to be evenly matched for the moment as the battle raged around them. "I know that you are capable of better Fox man!" He laughed. "Give me your ALL!"

He grabbed the hem of Komamura's Captain's haori, heaving with all his massive strength and throwing the large fox-like Shinigami over his shoulder. Komamura crashed through the wall of a nearby building with a grunt, the stone smashing apart under the force of the throw easily.

Coughing as he rose to his feet once again, Komamura glared at his large opponent. "You are surprisingly quick for such a large man."

"Oh...? A observant one are we?" Mars laughed. "Good. Good. That makes the battle so much more fun." He bounced on the balls of his sandled feet, bobbing back and forth before lunging towards the mighty captain.

The two clashed once again, exchanging a blurring series of blows that all seemed to only find the armored parts of each other's body. _Is he toying with me?_ Komamura wondered as he parried another heavy strike, _No... he's... he's like Kenpachi! He's trying to enjoy himself as much as he can._ As he realized this, he swung down, releasing his Zanpakutō as he did, the enormous, gauntleted fist of Tenken smashing in with the force of a meteor.

Mars let loose a roaring cheer as the massive, ghostly fist swung down. Charging a cero in his off hand, he stabbed up with his Gladius Zanpakutō and fired the blast right at Komamura. "That's more like it Fox man!" He laughed. "Show me more!"

Komamura growled as he slowly rose back to stand. "Very well. Identify yourself Arrancar."

"Septima Espada, Visal Mars." The Espada clashed his fist over his heart in a form of salute.

"Gotei Thirteen Squad Eight Captain. Komamura Sajin." He dropped into a combat stance, "Bankai!"

* * *

Hallibel and Hitsugaya once again stared each other down in the skies above Seireitei. "So we meet once again, Captain Hitsugaya." The blonde Espada said, drawing her sword. "Are you ready to die this time?"

"I'm honestly surprised that you remembered my name, Tres Espada." Hitsugaya had his Zanpakutō at the ready.

Hallibel shook her head, "Not Tres." She said, causing the white haired boy to blink in confusion, "Not anymore. I am now the Quinto. You realize what that means yes?"

Hitsugaya felt the color drain from his face. That meant that there were five Espada that were stronger than this woman. Gritting his teeth, he tightened his grip on the hilt of his Zanpakutō. "Bankai."

* * *

Kuchiki Byakuya, Kyouraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro faced off against Nelliel, Ulquiorra, and Stark. Stark turned to look at his fellow Espada, "So... who want's who?"

In answer, Ulquiorra flashed forward, bringing his blade scything down on Kyouraku and forcing him away from the other two. Stark blinked, and then shrugged. Nel meanwhile turned to the white haired man, "I guess I'll face off against you." She said, smiling sweetly.

"Oh?" Ukitake managed a good natured chuckle. "I'm flattered that such a pretty lady has suddenly taken such an interest in me."

Nel blinked, and then burst out laughing. "Don't flatter yourself. I belong to Shiro-sama alone." With that, she flickered behind him, delivering a brutal kick to his side.

That left Stark and Lilinette facing down Byakuya. "Don't suppose you just want to surrender eh?" Stark asked, drawing his Zanpakutō.

"Don't insult me Espada." Byakuya replied, holding up his blade, aiming it at the ground. "You threaten all that I have sworn to defend. Nothing can save you now." With that, he let go of his sword, "Bankai."

* * *

Ulquiorra came to a stop several hundred yards later, kicking his chosen opponent into a building. "Get up." He said, "I have a duty to kill you."

"Ahhhah..." Kyouraku stood up, brushing himself off. "You sure we can't just sit back and enjoy a drink of saki?" In response, the Espada above him pointed a finger at him, firing off a powerful cero. "Woah!" Kyouraku reappeared above Ulquiorra, slashing down at him. "That's dangerous you know."

Ulquiorra responded by simply slapping the twin Zanpakutōs away and bringing his own blade up in a counter strike. Kyouraku twisted in midair, dodging the blow, rolling further up into the air before lunging back down at his opponent. "Taka-Oni!" He shouted as he fell.

 _Something is different about this strike._ Ulquiorra thought as he dodged to the side, landing on a nearby building, fire from the destruction the hollows had caused flickering behind him.

"Hey! Not bad." Kyouraku grinned. "Kage-Oni!" He leaped forward, stabbing his blade into Ulquiorra's shadow.

Ulquiorra's eyes widened as a blade stabbed out of the shadow beneath his foot. He leaped away once again, his reflexes all that had saved the appendage. _This man is dangerous._ He thought.

"You're a quick little guy aren't you?" Kyouraku grinned widely. "This may actually be pretty tough for me."

"Don't be absurd, Kyouraku Shunsui." The pale Espada said, "You have yet to genuinely attack me."

"Says the guy who's holding back even more."

"You are correct..." Ulquiorra looked around, gazing at the massive battle. "Shiro-sama did tell me to ensure that you all died. So perhaps I should not hold back... Choke off. Murciélago."

* * *

Nel and Ukitake clashed near the wall of the Seireitei, her blade locking against the twin blades of his released Zanpakutō. "You're a lot quicker than you let on little man." Nel smiled warmly, "But it's gonna take more than speed to take me down."

Ukitake laughed, coughing slightly in pain from where she had kicked him earlier. "Sweet talker." He smiled, "Why don't you show me just how good you are." He spun around, breaking the locked blades apart, and slashing at her multiple times as he went.

"Hmm... Alright, but only because you asked so nicely." Nel reached forward, charging a large cero in her hand and launching it at him.

Ukitake grinned as the blast hammered towards him, "You're gonna need to do better than that!" He called out as the cero suddenly seemed to disappear.

Nel blinked in confusion before a cero fired from the tip of Ukitake's sword, aimed right at her heart. "Ooh? So that's how it is eh?" She said to herself, grinning, "This should be fun."

As the cero was about to hit her, she opened her mouth wide and inhaled. The cero crashed into her and stopped, beginning to grow smaller and smaller as the Espada simply swallowed it. Ukitake blinked in surprise, just before his enemy let loose a roaring shout and literally spat the cero back at him.

"Woah!" He leaped out of the way as the pink blast of energy roared past him and into the sky. "Never would have thought an Arrancar would have a similar ability as me..." He looked back at the beautiful teal haired woman. "This is going to be... interesting."

* * *

Sun Shira and Raiche Luraunt busied themselves with cutting down lower ranked Shinigami as the Vizard appeared on the scene. "Shit." Shinji said, looking at the battle around him. "Looks like we need to kill these bastards before we can find Ichigo. Focus on the Menos."

As he spoke, a heavy blow hurtled in and smashed him to the ground. The other Vizards looked up as Sun Shira flipped past them, landing on a nearby, taking a deep drink from his gord. "Shorry fellah'sh," He grinned drunkenly, "But thish way'sh closhed."

"Honestly Shira-san..." Luraunt appeared above the Vizards, smiling jovially, the tip of his rapier dripping with blood, "You should really learn some civility. Even on a battleground like this." He bowed to the gathered Vizards, "How do you all do? I am the Octava Espada, Raiche Luraunt. I shall be the one to kill a few of you today."

"Hehe. You're funny Mr Floppy Hat." Mashiro giggled, summoning her insectoid hollow mask and lunging at the Espada, flipping around just before she reached him to deliver a brutal kick to his head. Much to her surprise, Luraunt managed to roll to the side just before she connected with her attack. As he moved, his rapier flicked out, cutting open a cut running up her arm, running from her elbow almost up to her shoulder. "Yeowch!" She shrieked in pain, gripping her now bleeding arm. "That wasn't very nice! You were supposed to get kicked by me."

Luraunt came to a stop a few feet away, still smiling. "Forgive me my dear. It was never my intention to cause you agony." His grin widened, an insane glint creeping into his eyes, "Next time, I won't miss your throat. I promise."

A shadow fell over him suddenly, as a punching blade hammered into his back, knocking him away and into a building. "Tekken Tachikaze!" Kensei growled, releasing his bankai. "You stupid dumbass Mashiro. How many times am I gonna have to save your ass?"

"Oh?" Luraunt reappeared with a flicker of sonido, his smile seemingly unchanged. "So you'd like to volunteer to die first eh?"

Sun Shira meanwhile squared off against Lisa and Rose. "Heh, thish may actually be kinda fun." The Espada grinned drunkenly. "Esspecially if my opponent'sh a babe like you." He flickered forward unexpectedly fast, spinning his staff like Zanpakutō in a twirling arc before smashing the club-like end of it into Rose's side, knocking him away. Planting the staff on the air, he then flipped up to sit on the top of the weapon as though it were a seat, grinning down at Lisa, "Whaddaya say hot shtuff?" He chuckled lecherously. "Wanna get out of here and shpend shome quality time together?"

"Ugh," Lisa summoned her mask, releasing her Zanpakutō as she did, "I think I may be sick." She slashed the spear around, knocking the staff out from under her opponent before twirling it around and up to stab at his face as he fell.

Impossibly, the drunken Espada managed to twist himself in the air so that the spear did nothing to him. "Aww, that's a real shame. I'm gonna feel bad 'bout killing you doll." He continued to spin as he fell, sweeping his staff around to knock her spear away, clipping her along the temple with the other side of the staff as he moved.

However, just as the blow struck, a Zanpakutō smashed into the length of the staff, stopping it's momentum and saving the woman from the head wound. "You're an annoying little shit, you know that?" Shinji growled, blood dripping down from above his eye. "But it's me that's gonna kill you." He held up his sword in front of his face, "Collapse. Sakanade."

* * *

Barragan gazed at his opponent from across the gap between buildings on which they stood. The Shinigami had a strange, almost insane grin on his face as he gazed about at the hollows all around him. "Wonderful." The Shinigami said. "I really must thank you Arrancar for bringing me so much research material."

"Hmm?" Barragan tilted his head as he considered the other man, "You're an odd one, for sure." He hefted his massive battle axe shaped Zanpakutō to his shoulder, "Given your eccentric appearance, you must be Kurotsuchi."

"Ohh? You know about me eh?"

"Shiro-sama made certain that we knew the descriptions of all of you captains." The old Espada flickered across the distance, bringing his axe smashing in at Mayuri's head. The Shinigami dodged backwards with a quick shunpo, drawing his Zanpakutō as he came to a stop and releasing it's shikai.

"You move considerably faster than your frame suggests, Espada. Perhaps you will be a worthwhile test subject after all." He grinned wickedly, holding his blade at the ready.

"Hmph." Barragan snorted with laughter. "Arrogant whelp." He vanished in a sonido, reappearing beside the captain and placing his hand on the shoulder of the other man's sword arm. "You don't even realize how dangerous your enemy is."

Mayuri's eyes widened, turning and swinging his Zanpakutō at the Espada and forcing him back. As his arm completed it's slash, he winced as he suddenly felt the bone within his upper arm break. _What?!_ He jumped away from his opponent, looking down at his now useless arm hanging limply, and burning with pain. _How did my bone break so easily?_ He forced himself to take a deep breath, forcing his mind to think. _The point of the break feels like it's about where the Espada touched. That means that he has the ability to render me like this with a single touch. Fascinating..._

Barragan watched the captain, an amused smirk on his face. "Shall I tell you?" Mayuri looked up curiously, "Aizen's Espada each represented a different aspect of Death. Mine is 'Old Age'. I can cause your bones to age to dust with just a touch if I want."

Mayuri's grin returned as Barragan explained, growing wider and wider. "Fascinating... Truly fascinating! You have proven to be a most interesting subject after all, Espada." He shifted his Zanpakutō to his other arm, and held it up, point facing down towards the ground, "Bankai!"

Barragan smirked as the reiatsu coalesced around his enemy. "Hmph. Arrogant whelp." He said again, holding his axe upside-down, "Rot. Arrogante."

* * *

Chad and Ishida stood together, facing down someone they never thought that they'd have to fight. "Arisawa-san..." Ishida still couldn't believe that the girl had become an Arrancar.

"Oh spare me Ishida." She sneered, "You won't be joining in on this fight. Not if you want to keep your one good arm." The Quincy winced. "As for you Chad..." She turned to face the massive man, "Shiro-sama doesn't want you dead if it can be avoided. He says that it's because your strength would be useful to him, but I think he still has a few emotions leftover from when he was human." She smiled warmly. "We don't have to do this you know? Just say the word, and Shiro-sama will let you join him."

The large man dropped into a fighter's stance, summoning the armoring around his arms. "Sorry Tatsuki." He said, "But I can't work with hollows. Not if it means betraying my friends here."

Tatsuki sighed, dropping into her own fighting crouch. "That's a shame. Well then, Cuarto Espada, Arisawa Tatsuki, ready for battle." She flickered out of sight with an increadibly fast sonido, reappearing between them. She then delivered a brutal kick to Ishida's stomach, knocking him away, before turning and driving a viciously strong punch towards Chad's side. The blow came up short, as his large shield like right arm swung around and caught the strike, however the force behind the young woman's punch was still enough to knock the large man back several yards. "Damn..." Tatsuki shook her hand a little. "The hell is that arm of yours _made_ of?"

Chad simply straightened up, reiatsu beginning to burn out of the back of his right arm like some kind of engine exhaust. "Braco Derecha del Gigante." He punched forward, unleashing the massive blast of reiatsu at her.

Ishida struggled to sit up, tasting blood on his tongue, and realizing he'd been kicked through a wall into a building. _She said Cuarto..._ He thought as he gingerly felt at his rib cage, noting at least three fractures. _We may not be able to stop her alone..._ As he began to rise to his feet, a shadow fell over him. Looking up, he found himself face to face with Tatsuki, a cold smirk on her lips.

"Where do you think you're going?" She purred. Ishida's vision suddenly began to swim as the Espada filled the air around him with her pheromones. He stumbled backwards, coughing, but Tatsuki kept pace with him as he fell to his knees. "You just have a little nap here Ishida-kun. Shiro-sama will decide what he want's to do with you later."

 _Yes..._ Ishida's mind fogged over, his vision fading out as the beautiful girl before him spoke. _I should just..._ He couldn't even speak, his eyes rolled back into his head and he fell backwards.

Tatsuki watched the Quincy collapse, quietly grinning at the sheer power that she held over him at the moment. "Now then... For the one that's really gonna be a challenge." As she spoke, Chad punched a hole into the wall from the outside. The large man's eyes found Ishida and widened in shock. "No need to worry Chad," Tatsuki smiled, "He's not dead. He's just having a little nap."

Chad growled, charging another powerful attack with his right arm, before lunging between his friend and the woman and unleashing it at near point blank range. Tatsuki seemed to flow like water, weaving under the resulting blast of reiatsu, and coiling herself around his body. She hooked a leg around his left arm, pinning it out to the side while holding his right arm at bay with her own arm. Meanwhile, her chest rested against the back of his head. Chad's eyes suddenly widened as his mind began to fog, his thoughts growing sluggish as though something were suffocating them.

"That's it Sado-kun..." Tatsuki's voice purred in his ear like honey. "Just feel my body against yours, feel my voice echo in your mind. Fall to your knees as your strength leaves you." Her pheromones filled the space, leaving the massive man nowhere to escape from them. His vision blackened, and he felt his knees give out. "That's it... Now just feel yourself drift off and join Ishida-kun in sleep. We don't need to fight. Just... Sleep..."

Chad was unconscious even before he fell forward. Tatsuki rolled off him before he hit the floor, catching his head and setting it down gently. "There." She smiled warmly, "That was easier than I thought it'd be." As she spoke, something ran into her, knocking her through the far wall and back out into the street. Rising unsteadily to her feet, she looked around, "The hell...?"

"So you're Arisawa huh?" A woman appeared on the roof of the building above her. She was dark skinned, and wore a sleeveless combat outfit. "You've got a funny way of showing your appreciation to the people who tried to save you."

Tatsuki grinned, leaping up to stand before the beautiful woman. "You've got me at a disadvantage here gorgeous. What's your name?"

"Shihouin Yoruichi." The other woman dropped into a fighters crouch. "I'm gonna kick your ass."

Tatsuki let out a musical laugh, dropping into her own stance, "Sorry Yoruichi-san, but it's gonna take more than just you to beat me."

"Good thing she's not alone then." Urahara Kisuke arrived in a flicker of shunpo, standing just behind Tatsuki, his Zanpakutō pointed right at the center of her back. Meanwhile, Soi Fong appeared to the side, in a similar stance as Yoruichi. "Give up Arisawa-san." Kisuke said, a sad look on his face, "Give up, and we may be able to find a way to undo what Shiro did to you."

Tatsuki looked over her shoulder at the man, "You're that fake candy shop guy." She said, smiling, "You're the one who sent Ichigo to Hueco Mundo in the first place." She grinned at the wince her words elicited. "Heh, I think I should be thanking you. If you hadn't done that, I wouldn't be in the position I am now."

"You can't win against the three of us Arrancar." Soi Fong frowned. "No matter how good you are, it's impossible."

"No." Tatsuki turned back to face Yoruichi, and cracked her knuckles. "Now it's fun."

* * *

 **So the war begins.**

 **Sorry about the long time between updates. Just got a new job and it's been keeping me pretty busy. (Also, I am not too proud to say that it took me a while to figure out who I wanted to have fight who.)**

 **Anyways, I realize that this chapter jumped around a lot, but there were a bunch of fights to set up. The next several chapters will be focusing on individual battles more than the war as a whole.(You know, like the series usually does with these big battles :P)**

 **Anyways, hope you liked it. Let me know in the reviews. And if I kill off any characters that you really like in the next several chapters, please don't hate me xD**

 **As always, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your continued support and reviews. It's because of you readers that I write this stuff. So, see you next time :)**


	10. Chapter 10

The buzzing hum of a sonido announced Shiro's return to the battlefield. He reappeared in the sky overhead, gazing calmly down at the fights that had broken out in his absence. "I must admit I'm a little insulted you didn't send more after me, Commander." He said, "You seem to have plenty of troops to spare."

Captain Commander Yamamoto Genryuusai stood several yards away, facing the Hollow King. "I knew you would be back." He replied with a shrug. "No man who calls himself 'King' would allow himself to miss out on the main battle of a war."

Shiro turned to consider the old man curiously. "And if I had simply gone to the central tower and destroyed the heart of Seireitei while you waited patiently for me here?"

Yamamoto opened his eyes slightly, "If you ever were Kurosaki Ichigo, then you already know the answer to that question." The Arrancar smirked at the statement, "The Heart of the Seireitei is not some collection of buildings. It is the brave men and women who defend it!"

With that he threw back his arms, causing his draped Haori to fall away from his shoulders. He tucked first one arm, then the other through the sleeves of his kimono, allowing the garment to fall down around his waist and baring his impressively well built, and incredibly scarred chest. He then held forth his staff, the wood seemed to unravel itself, revealing a Zanpakutō hidden within. Even as he drew the blade it began to glow and burn with reiatsu, "Reduce all creation to ashes. Ryuujin Jakka." Massive flames burst to life around the ancient Shinigami as he released his Zanpakutō.

Shiro let out a small whistle. "That thing really is pretty damned impressive old man." He smiled, drawing his own black blade as he spoke. "I'll be honest. I almost don't want to kill you... almost." He chuckled, holding his blade at the ready, "But then I think about how much dammed _fun_ this is going to be!"

"Enough talk." Yamamoto stepped forward, "It's time to teach you a lesson in humility, whelp." With that, he flashed forward in a remarkably fast shunpo, bringing his flaming sword crashing down at the pale skinned Arrancar's head.

The Captain Commander of the Gotei 13, and the King of Hueco Mundo clshed in the skies above southern Seireitei in a massive explosion of reiatsu that literally rocked the rest of the world. A giant burst of flame heralding the start of the battle.

* * *

"Kokujo Tengen Myo-oh!"Komamura Sajin swung down, the massive giant that formed his bankai mirroring his movement and slashing with devastating force at his opponent.

Visal Mars laughed happily as he rolled aside, watching with fascination as the enormous blade of the giant smashed into the street, laying dozens of hollows to waste in it's failed attempt on his own life. "Oh this is glorious!" He shouted, grinning like a madman. "I could not have asked for a more enjoyable opponent! You have my sincere thanks for this, Squad Eight Captain."

Komamura snarled, turning his blade and swinging it horizontally. Once again the giant mirrored him, smashing it's blade into the Espada before he could react. Mars was smashed through several buildings as the sword continued it's arc back up into the sky. "You are far too much like Captain Kenpachi." He said, watching the large man rise once again. "This world can barely survive one of him. Two must not be allowed to continue to exist."

"Eh? Zaraki Kenpachi you say?" Mars grinned again. "Perhaps I should just kill you and go find him then. He sounds like a fun one to fight."

Komamura frowned, preparing another strike. _Where the hell is that madman anyways?_ He asked himself quietly. _Even he should have had no problems finding this battle, and we actually need his help this time._ At that moment, a massive explosion of reiatsu and fire ripped the sky apart. Komamura and Mars both looked up in shock, _Commander Yamamoto-dono?_ He recognized the reiatsu instantly, _That means that his opponent must be..._

"Oooh! Shiro-sama! The King engages in glorious battle!" Komamura looked back to his enemy. Mars stood tall and proud, his sword hand held the hilt of his Zanpakutō across his heart, blade pointed towards the sky. "Oh mighty King, Shiro-sama." The Espada suddenly intoned, he sounded almost like he was completing a ritual. "We who are about to die, salute you!" He swung his sword up to point towards the battling King of Hueco Mundo in salute.

Komamura watched this with a certain fascination. "How curious..." He said, "You are expecting to die then?"

The Septima Espada lowered his sword and once again faced his opponent. Komamura felt his blood freeze at how calm the large man suddenly looked. "All life dies, Komamura Sajin." He said with a happy smile, "The mark of a true warrior is how many times he can beat death's jaws back before the end. But he must still always be ready for that death to come." He pointed his short gladius Zanpakutō at the fox like captain, "You have been kind enough to show me such a wondrous bankai. So it would be an insult to a warrior such as you not to reply in kind. Salute! IMPERETOR!"

A heavy blast of reiatsu rushed out of the large man as he released his Zanpakutō. Dust and heavily concentrated reishi particles swirled around him, shielding him from view. After a few moments, the dust blew apart, revealing the Espada's true form. He seemed to have grown another couple feet, and a long cape fluttered at his back, but the biggest feature, was his lower body. His waist was fused into the body of a large Roman-style War Chariot, four massive hollowized horses stamped at the ground from the front of the chariot, eager to charge into battle. Mars held the reins in one hand, and his Gladius in the other. Inhaling deeply, he opened his eyes, locking gazes with his enemy. "Now come, Komamura Sajin! Glory awaits!"

Komamura felt his fur bristle at the sight of the man's transformation. _This will not be an easy battle._ He dropped into a ready stance, holding his sword above his head, and his bankai mirroring his movement.

Mars snapped the reins in his hand, coaxing the massive horses into a full on gallop. The hollow steeds crashed across the stones of the Seireitei street for a dozen paces before leaping into the air and galloping up, into the sky, the chariot wheels solidifying reishi particles beneath them as they rolled. Once airborn, the massive Espada brought the chariot around and began charging at his enemy's bankai, clearly intent on dealing with the larger threat first. "Vivat Rex!" He roared as he charged, charging a cero at the end of his sword.

Komamura frowned swinging his blade up above his head, and then bringing it crashing down in a massive overhead slash, however the chariot turned away, rumbling out of the way of the attack in a wide arcing turn. The Shinigami then reversed his strike, swinging up and around, attempting to hit the racing Espada. Unfortunately, despite the large size of the man's released form, the chariot was surprisingly nimble in the air, and was able to dodge most all of the strikes.

As he dodged one final strike, Mars grinned, "Time to strike back I think." He pointed his sword at the giant bankai and unleashed the cero that he'd been charging.

Komamura felt his hair bristle as the blast rumbled towards his bankai. _Shit! If that hits..._ He tried to raise the giant's sword in defense, but it was too late. The cero took the giant full on in the chest, hitting with enough force no knock the massive construct over, and denting it's chest armor. Komamura's world went black with pain as the damage was mirrored onto him by the same connection that allowed him to move the giant. He felt as though a meteor had just smashed into his chest, as he was knocked from his feet, suddenly struggling to breathe.

Mars watched the unexpected effect his attack had on the fox-man with surprise. "Oh? You take the damage that your bankai does eh?" He asked, watching the captain violently cough up blood from where he lay. "You wade into battle regardless of the threat, prepared for the worst to happen." He nodded approvingly. "My respect for you has grown once again, Komamura Sajin."

"I-I... do not... fight for your respect... or approval...Visal Mars." Komamura gasped as he struggled to rise once again, his Zanpakutō propping his weight up. "I... fight... for the Soul Society!" He stumbled forward a step, using the momentum of the movement to bring his sword up and around in a deadly arc.

"Shit!" Mars swore as the blade of the giant crashed in towards him. _I can't dodge!_ The massive sword caught the chariot along it's side, smashing it towards the ground, the horses screaming horrified shrieks as their course was unexpectedly and violently changed. Mars crashed to earth hard. Slamming into a building with explosive force, he felt several bones fracture and heard his steeds cry out another pained scream. When his vision finally cleared, he looked about. He was inside an old storehouse, the chariot on it's side, at least one of it's wheels had broken in the fall, with him connected to the construct, that left him virtually unable to move. One of his horses was sprawled out, a large piece of the wooden rafters stabbed through it's chest like a spear, while the other one flailed violently, it's back leg broken.

"Tch..." He marveled at the devastation that the giant had wrought with a single successful strike. "Most impressive Captain." He knew that his opponent would be closing in to finish the job soon, he could feel the rumble of the earth, heralding the giant's approach. "So... is this where I meet my end?" He glanced up, seeing his gladius laying a few feet away. He reached, straining for the weapon, _If I am to die today,_ He thought as his fingers clawed at the hilt of the short sword, _Then at least let me die with my weapon in hand!_

A massive shadow fell across him as Komamura's bankai appeared overhead. As it raised it's sword to deliver what would surely be a killing blow, Mars snarled one final time, lurching forward and closing his hand around the hilt of his Zanpakutō.

The giant's blade descended, falling to earth like the hammer of an ancient, wrathful god. Just as it hit however, a massive cero blast roared forth.

Komamura coughed, seeing the bright crimson hue of blood fall from his lips. His vision blurred, and he felt his senses dim. _Visal Mars..._ He couldn't even speak, _I regret that we were enemies... You would have made an excellent comrade._ He fell backwards, his bankai mirroring his movements one last time, a giant hole blasted through the center of the armored torso.

In the destroyed ruins of the storehouse, the Septima Espada lay, his chest bleeding from where the giant's sword had almost cut him in half, his blade raised to the sky in one last defiant salute, and a smile on his lips. He coughed violently, resealing his Zanpakutō, causing the chariot and horses to vanish, his arm finally falling to his side. "Well fought... K-Komamura... Sajin..." He pulled himself along the rubble strewn floor to the closest remaining wall, and pulled himself into a seated position against it, and felt the world go dark as his consciousness faded.

* * *

Near the wall of the Seireitei, a very odd battle raged. The two combatants continually threw a single cero back and forth between themselves, the massive attack growing stronger and stronger with each reflection.

 _Oh this is just getting ridiculous._ Nel thought with a huff of frustration as she once again spat back the Cero Doublé at her white haired opponent. _One of us is going to give out sooner or later... But Shiro-sama is watching me! I can't allow some damned Shinigami to get the better of me!_

Ukitake Junshiro had to admit, he was duly impressed by his opponent. _Not only can she absorb a cero couter-attack, but she's able to increase the power of the follow-up._ He thought as he once again stopped the cero with his blade, absorbing it into the Zanpakutō. He then held off releasing the blast for a few moments, the spell tags on the rope that connected his twin swords igniting one by one as he thought. _Even breaking the tempo like this does nothing to slow her down!_

Nel watched the man with an annoyed expression. _Tch... damn Shinigami... that pause between him absorbing the attack and redirecting it seems to almost be random... But it's not. He's able to hold it back... but for how long...?_ He eyes suddenly widened in realization, "That's it!" She grinned, just as Ukitake hurled the cero back at her once again. _This may hurt.._.

She stopped the cero, inhaling and absorbing it again. This time however, she didn't spit it right back. With a grimmace, she lunged forward, bringing her Zanpakutō up to clash with Ukitake. The captain's eyes widened in realization, even as he brought his blades up to block the lethal strike. As their blades locked, Nel pushed down, exposing her opponent's face, then with a wrathful roar, she unleashed the cero at point blank range.

The effect was devastating. The attack had been empowered so many times within the past several minutes that it's strength now resembled a Grand Ray Cero. Ukitake was hurled away with the force of the attack, and another swath of land within the Seireitei was demolished.

Nel stood alone for a few moments, breathing heavily. "Shit." She coughed, "That's gonna give me indigestion for weeks..."

* * *

Sun Shira coughed as the blade dug deeply into his stomach. "Well... That's a pain in the assh... How did I not dodge you...?" His mind reeled as he thought over the past few moments. The strange blonde haired man had released his Zanpakutō, it had spun around on it's weird circle hilt thing, and then he'd slashed in. But when Shira had tried to dodge backwards, he'd moved forward instead, right into the slash.

"Sakanade." Shinji said calmly, stepping back and spinning the Zanpakutō around his index finger casually. "It reverses all of your directional senses. Up is down, left is right, back is forward, and so on. You can't win when you need to completely relearn how to move Espada. You may as well just let me cut your head off now."

For a few moments, the Arrancar was silent, watching the spinning Zanpakutō quietly. Then, much to the Vizard's surprise, he began to laugh. Spinning his staff around his neck twice, he rolled backwards and propped himself up onto it like a seat once again, still laughing as he did so. Finally he recovered his composure to speak once again. "Well, well..." He grinned down at the strange Shinigami, "You may actually be fun to fight after all. Alright, then. If I can't move normally, I'll just have change up the rhythm. Thrash and Go Wild! Mono Dios!"

The air exploded with a heavy reiatsu spike as the Espada released his own Zanpakutō. As Shinji's vision cleared, he gaped at what he saw. The Arrancar's body was covered by a thick coat of brown fur, and a long tail flicked lazily back and forth behind him. He seemed to resemble a large, long limbed monkey. His kung fu outfit had been replaced by a suit of flexible looking armor. He still held his staff in one hand, in the other he held an almost comically over sized gourd, which he immediately raised to his lips and drank from deeply.

He drank for almost a solid minute, Shinji beginning to feel more and more awkward as he stood there, wondering if he should even bother attacking. Finally, the monkey-like Espada let loose a happy sigh and lowered the gourd. "Haaah! That hits the shpot..." He said drunkenly, stumbling and swaying slightly as he spoke. "Yosh! Noveno Eshpada, Shun Shhira, ready to kick yer assh!" He stumbled backwards a few steps before lunging forward with unexpected speed, bringing the massive gourd swinging up to batter the Shinigami away.

Shinji blinked in surprise as the Arrancar lunged at him. _What the... How is he moving that easily with Sakanade's ability still working?_ His confusion nearly cost him as the heavy strike swung in. He managed to roll to the side at the last second, feeling the displaced wind whip against his face as the gourd passed through the space his body had been a mere heartbeat before. _Tch. Fine then._ Dropping the ring shaped hilt of Sakanade down around his wrist, he began spinning the blade around faster and faster, until it nearly disappeared in a blur of motion. Then, summoning up his hollow mask, he leaped forward, flicking his arm forward and around. The blade cut into Shira's fur several times, droplets of blood spraying out as the Zanpakutō acted almost like a buzsaw.

Shira simply laughed drunkenly before falling away from the spinning sword, pausing to lash out at Shinji with a pair of thrusting, shotgun-like kicks. When Shinji dodged to the side and avoided those, Shira flipped up onto his head and spun around, bringing his staff sweeping around to smash into the Vizard's knee, and knocking him to his side.

"Yeh really sshouldn't'a let me have that lasht drink there, Shinigami boy." Shira chuckled, as he came to a stop, lying on his side facing Shinji. "Doshn't matter how much ya messh with my mind. The drunker I get in my realeashed shtate, the crazier my movements get anywaysh. Sho throwin' off mah internal compash don't mean sshit anymore" He grinned wildly rolling up to his feet once again, Shinji also recovering his footing and bringing his blade up in time to block the inbound staff strike.

Lisa watched from a dozen feet away, unable to believe what she was seeing. _He's fighting Shinji to a standstill..._ She thought, truly amazed. _I can hardly follow his movements._ She managed to suppress her gasp of surprise when the monkey-like Espada suddenly rolled away from Shinji and popped up right in front of her.

"Heheh. Hey there doll. You gonna jusht sit here staring, or you gonna jump in an' make this fight a bit more fun?" Shira's grin was lit by the tell-tale glint of the absolute insanity that could only possibly come form being completely hammered. Lisa felt her teeth grit together as she tightened her grip on her spear shaped Zanpakutō and swept it up and around in a cleaving strike just as Shinji appeared behind her target, lashing out at his mid back.

Shira's grin only widened. He kicked his staff backwards and up, bringing it into Shinji's path, meanwhile, he brought his foot up and stomped down on the flat of Lisa's blade, forcing the point down to pass harmlessly below him. "There we go. Now maybe you guy'sh'll have a chance."

The three of them vanished into a blurring series of strikes, parries, dodges, blocks and blows. Shira seemed to be impossible to pin down, every minute or so, he'd take another heavy swig from his gourd, and his movements would continue to grow more and more erratic. Finally after a while, the Espada kicked himself away from the two Visard,dropping his staff as he moved.

"Woah..." He panted, breathing heavily. "You guysh don't messh around do ya?" He grinned widely, "Then it'sh time ta end thish." He raised the gourd to his lips once again, and threw his head back. His entire body arched backwards as he drank, and drank, and drank. Realizing what was likely about to happen Shinji's eyes widened and he lunged forward, Lisa right behind him, trying to strike while the Arrancar was vulnerable.

As the two struck, the monkey-like Espada vanished, leaving only the gourd to plummet to the ground, empty. A heartbeat later, Shira reappeared in between them, lashing out a brutal, blurring triple strike to Lisa's stomach and chest, and kicking her away, before turning and unleashing a barrage of strikes at Shinji.

The blonde Vizard tried his best to keep up with the attacks, but the drunken Espada's movements were almost impossible to follow. Eventually Shinji's defense broke down entirely, and Shira was simply pummeling his foe mercilessly. After a few moments, Shira stopped, instead reaching forward and closing his extremely powerful hands around Shinji's neck. "Well bud." He said with a drunken grin, "It'sh been fun. But I gotta jusht kill ya' now-" His words were interrupted as Sakanade was rammed into his chest.

"W-was... waiting for you... to... do something stupid..." Shinji coughed as the Espada's grip tightened in pain. "LISA!"

Lisa returned in a flicker of shunpo, stabbing towards Shira with her spear, the blade aimed right for his heart. Shira's eyes widened in shock as he realized what was about to happen.

The spear tip rammed into Sun Shira's back, forcing a blood-filled cough from his lungs. However, his eyes glittered with triumph, even as he fell forward. Because as the pain of the Zanpakutō had pierced him, another sound had filled the air. The sound of a snapping neck.

* * *

Raiche Luraunt looked up, a disappointment look on his face. "Shira-san lost to that rabble? How pathetic."

Kensei tried to take advantage of the Espada's momentary distraction, lunging forward and punching with all his might. Luraunt managed to twist away at the last second, flicking his rapier out once again to open another bright red line along the man's chest. "Dammit!" The Vizard swore. "Hold still you little shit!"

"Well when you ask like _that_..." Luraunt laughed as he skipped backwards, "It just makes the whole idea sound _so_ appealing."

A shadow fell over him as he moved. Looking up, he saw the petite, deadly form of Mashiro spinning down towards him for a brutally devastating kick. The blow connected solidly with the crown of the Espada's head, smashing him into the ground. "Yay!" Mashiro cheered bubbly, her voice echoing from within her hollow mask. "I win Kensei!"

Kensei appeared beside her, frowning and looking down at the smoking rubble of the building where Luraunt had landed. "You should take off your mask for a little bit." He said seriously, "Even you're gonna get tired out fighting a twisty little fuck like this guy."

"Eh? What're you talking about Kensei? You remember how long I can keep this thing on for right?!" Mashiro looked almost like she was telling off a naughty child as she explained herself, "Fifteen hours! I could keep going like this al-" She was interrupted as a rapier blade punched into the lowest corner of her mask, crushing through the bone-like material and opening a cut along her cheek and up past her eye.

Mashiro howled in pain as she leaped backwards trailing blood. Luraunt meanwhile flicked the blood from his blade and rounded on Kensei, letting loose a series of jabbing thrusts and stabs. There was blood trickling down his face from where his hat covered his eye, but he still bore that same, insane grin that he'd had the entire fight. "Aahhh... You people are most enjoyable to battle against!" He laughed as he continued thrusting at the large white haired Vizard.

Kensei dodged the stabs easily enough, finally, he grit his teeth and brought his bankai up to knock the rapier aside and counter attack. Again, the Espada was able to twist himself away expertly, though it was a much closer call this time. "Dammit." He cursed again, letting loose a flurry of brutally powerful punches.

After a few moments, the two broke apart once again, Kensei flickering over to check on Mashiro, while Luraunt simply stood there, breathing heavilly. Flicking the blood from his face, the Espada smiled widely, holding his arms outstretched, "Aahhh, this is what life is truly all about. This enjoyment... But alas, I believe it is time to bring this act to a close. Forgive me my strange Shinigami friends, but with Shiro-sama fighting above us, and that drunken idiot Sun Shira dead, I need to end this quickly." He saluted with his rapier, before making a quick flourish with it in the air, "Create, Imaginarium."

The customary reiatsu spike was accompanied by a flash of dark blue light that flooded the area around them. The two Vizards were joined by Lisa, and Rose as they stood on guard, waiting for the released Espada to reveal himself. What emerged from the mist like reiatsu was... unexpected, to say the least. Luraunt's hat was still there, however the section that reached down, covering his eye usually was now gone, revealing a glimmering ruby-like gem. Instead of the rapier, he held a long, feathered ink quill, and a large book, and four creepy looking, almost tentacle like arms reached out from his back, each of them also held an ornate feather quill.

He looked up, noticing the two new comers. "Ahh, fresh subjects for my ink to capture in memorium." He smiled warmly. "Wonderful."

Kensei looked towards Lisa, noticing her expression. "Shinji?"

She couldn't bring herself to answer. She simply lowered her gaze, biting her lip and shaking her head slightly.

"Shit." Kensei felt his grip tighten on the handles of his punching blades. "Ok... We'll deal with that after we kill this son of a bitch. Get ready, we don't know what he does."

Luraunt simply stood there, gazing at his enemies across the gap between them. "Now then..." He tapped his lip thoughtfully. "How should I capture this moment? Hmm, I think you are not needed for this picture my curly haired blonde friend." He locked eyes with Rose, the tentacle-like arms on his back moving to the open book in his hand and flickering across the page, swiftly drawing something. "Please leave my sight, forever."

Rose opened his mouth to say something, but never even got the chance, his eyes widened in shock and pain as a red gash appeared across his throat, blood spurting forth. The blonde haired Vizard gasped, clutching at his throat before falling away from the others.

"ROSE!" Lisa screamed, lunging down to catch her falling friend. As she rushed after him, a blade seemed to materialize from thin air, piercing Rose's heart. Lisa stopped moving, feeling her heart stop at the sight of yet another friend dying right in front of her. "YOU _BASTARD_!" She rounded on Luraunt in pure fury, leaping at him and summoning her mask as she stabbed towards his heart.

Luraunt let loose an insane laugh as he dodged to the side, "Yes! Hahaha! That's it my dear! That despair is perfect! Oh such a wonderful subject for my artwork." As he dodged and weaved away from the enraged woman, his tentacle arms continued their mad scrawling across a new page of his book. "Yes... Yes... and then she'll..."

As he spoke, Luraunt dodged to the side, just as Mashiro's leg cleaved through the air where his head had been. The brutal kick from the green haired woman collided with the blade of Lisa's spear, blood pouring forth as the tip of the weapon dug into her foot. Mashiro let loose another howl of pain, as Lisa shrieked in shock, trying to apologize.

"YES! PERFECT!" Luraunt laughed as he skipped backwards. "Oohh these scenes are turning out even better than I had hoped!"

Kensei suddenly appeared behind the Espada, loosing a brutally devastating punch that successfully collided with Luraunt's cheek. "You little fuck." The mighty Vizard's voice was cold and deadly. "What the fuck did you do to Rose?"

"Hmm?" Luraunt spit out a mouthful of blood, as he recovered slowly from the punch. "I would have thought the name of my Zanpakutō explained it all..." He shrugged, "Imaginarium. Whatever I draw within this book, becomes a reality. For example..." He flicked a page or two backwards, and showed it to Kensei. It showed a sketch of Rose with a bright red line across his neck, and what looked like blood flowing forth, then another image of him being impaled as he fell with a sword.

The air around Kensei began to swirl and the former captain's eyes turned dark. "You're dead." He said simply, locking eyes with the Espada before him.

"Ooh?" Luraunt smiled cruelly, "I like those eyes... they're so fierce... All the better when that becomes true despair." His tentacle arms were already drawing as Kensei lunged forward. The Vizard's punch came up short however, when suddenly, Mashiro was between the two.

"Mashiro, get the _fuck_ out of my way!" Kensei snarled, his fist stopped an inch before his former lieutenant's face.

"I-I can't move..." Mashiro's eyes were wide as she tried desperately to understand the situation. "Kensei... I can't move!"

"Of course you can't my dear." Luraunt laughed sadistically, just behind the green haired woman. "You cannot move because that is how I have drawn you. And until the page is turned, _this_ is your reality."

"You fucking coward!" Kensei tried to lunge around Mashiro, but the girl's body simply shifted to always be between him and his target. "Fight like a real man!"

"Hmph. Foolish neanderthal." Luraunt snorted, continuing to draw on the page, " A real man fights with everything at his disposal. And I have one other weapon at mine." As he spoke, Lisa suddenly appeared before Kensei, her eyes wide with fear, her body seemingly moving on it's own, as her spear lunged towards his eye. "Checkmate." Luraunt grinned wickedly.

Kensei threw himself backwards, just managing to dodge away from the blow in time. Tears were streaming down Lisa's face as her body once again lunged forward on it's own, working to enact the Espada's twisted vision of what reality should be. Meanwhile, Mashiro screamed obscenities at her captor, struggling to escape the hold that he had over her.

Kensei continued to dodge, his mind racing. _This fucking power..._ He thought, _There's got to be some kind of limit to it... Think Kensei, think! He said that whatever he draws, is what happens, that means that if I can get rid of those damned arms, I can shut him down. Also... why hasn't he tried to catch me in one of these stupid traps of his...? Could he not be able to influence people who are strong enough...? But if that were the case, then how did he kill Rose so easily?_ As he tried to work it through in his mind, his eye drifted back to the Espada. The cold, cruel smile that he saw on the Arrancar's lips made his blood run cold.

Suddenly, Lisa stopped moving, and Mashiro seemed to slump forward. "I can see the gears working overtime in your mind trying to figure out my ability." Luraunt's voice sounded from just behind Kensei. The Vizard turned, preparing to strike, but felt himself freeze up as he faced the Espada. "While it's true that my ability does indeed have limits," The Arrancar continued, "I'm afraid that you, Vizard-san, fall well within those limits. Especially since Shiro-sama gifted us with his might." As he spoke, his tentacle arms continued drawing, "Shiro-sama explained to us what you all are. Shinigami who have a hollow within your soul. It's fascinating material, so close to us Arrancar... and yet so fundamentally different. Still, it's close enough for my purposes."

Kensei suddenly felt a ripping pain tear through him as something punched through his back and into his chest. He managed to look back over his shoulder, his eyes widening in shock. "Ma...shi...ro...?"

Mashiro was just behind him, her arm buried in his back, and her hollow mask pulled over her face. Kensei managed to realize, as his vision began to go dark, that the hollow mask seemed to have completely encased her head, instead of just the face-mask that she normally wore. He also noted Lisa a little further back, struggling to try and rip her own mask off as it slowly encased her whole head.

"Yes." Luraunt stepped forward, pulling Kensei's gaze back to him, "I'm afraid that your friends' 'inner hollows' as you call them, have just become far to powerful for either of them to contain, or control. As such, I'm afraid that your friends, are now, _my_ friends."

"Y-you... bas...tard..." Kensei tried to force his body to move, maybe if he could just kill this bastard, maybe at least Lisa and Mashiro could escape.

"It's ok, I promise, I'll treat them well. After all, they're going to be my new lab assistants." The Espada walked around to Mashiro, caressing her mask gently, "And I always take _good_ care of my lab assistants."

Mashiro made a little cooing sound from behind her mask, her head tilting to consider the man before her. Kensei meanwhile swore once more before falling away from the group, blood falling from the gaping hole in his body. _Ma..shiro..._ he tried to speak, but couldn't, landing in a crumpled heap, far below.

"And now, the final page." Luraunt grinned, his quills scribbling across the page of his book, "Where the beautiful new assistants swear their unwavering loyalty to their new master Raiche Luraunt, and their unending fealty to the mighty King Shiro-sama."

Unable to resist the power that had arrayed itself against them, Lisa and Mashiro both fell to their knees, their heads bowed in submission before the Octava Espada.

* * *

 **There we go, that took entirely way too long to write. Sorry for the wait my friends.**

 **So, we have at least 3 or 4 confirmed deaths on the Soul Society side, and 1, possibly 2 deaths for Hueco Mundo.**

 **Now, to get this out of the way right now. Yes, I realize that Luraunt's ability is a little overpowered, but if you are a Bleach fan, then you're used to villains being stupidly overpowered, (seriously, _any_ one of the Quincy villains in this 'final' arc would qualify for that particular definition.) However, yes, his ability _does_ indeed have limits, which we may, or may not see in a future chapter. And yes, there are in fact several people that he straight up cannot affect with his ability.**

 **I'm sorry that these chapters about the war are taking a while to write up and post, but as I discovered writing this chapter, I apperantly have difficulty writing multiple action scenes in a row so that they all feel legitimately interesting and engaging. (Hence why Ukitake's fight with Nel was really short this chapter. There's really only so many ways to say "They played a game of Sudden Death Ping-Pong until one of them got tired and died." Also, I really don't know all that much else about Ukitake and his fighting style, so his 'absorb and redirect' trick is pretty much all I had to go on.)**

 **Oh yeah, and those of you who do not like how I have been writing Nel, Yes, I understand your complaints, but I do have a solid defense for why she acts so bloodthirsty around the Shinigami and humans that she's been dealing with thus far. While yes, she is normally a pacifist, she is first and foremost a _Hollow_ and an Arrancar. She acted the way she did in the series because she was among her own kind, and with the man she had fallen in love with (Ichigo) Also, she was a child.** **We have very little other concrete information about her adult self. We know that she was very kind to her subordinates, we know that she preferred not to fight unless she had to, and we know that she saw Nnoitra as 'childish', and that's about it. The only other knowledge we really have on her is that she is a total badass in a fight, and fights with an extremely calm outward demeanor.**

 **PS: Bonus points if you know what Visal Mars' battle cry means without googleing it. :P**

 **See you all next time :)**


	11. Chapter 11

Karin ran through the Seireitei. She neither knew, nor cared where her feet took her, she simply continued to run. She had to get away from it all. The monsters that had replaced her family, the carnage and destruction happening in the south, all of it.

Tears fell from her eyes as she ran. _How can that shitty dad even think of killing Ichi-nii...? How could Ichi-nii have become that... that thing...?_ She ran on, seemingly invisible to the dozens of Shinigami she passed. All of them ran in different directions, some running towards the south to help with the battle, some running to help put out fires that had appeared throughout the city, and some ran to set up defensive points at other key locations.

As she ran, a thought of black guilt shot through her chest. _Oh god... Yuzu... what is she gonna do if I'm not there?_ She felt herself begin to slow, about to turn back, then shame and anger forced her onwards. _I can't... I can't go back... not to that shitty father. Not to that monster that want's to kill his own son. I can't. I'm so sorry... Yuzu..._

She ran onwards. her path taking her to the Western Gate, and beyond, into the Rukon district. She didn't even register it. She simply ran, and ran, and ran.

* * *

Kurotsuchi Mayuri felt his eyes widen in horror as the pain began registering in his mind. "My bankai... gone...?" It should have been impossible. One moment, Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou had been there, about to destroy the Arrancar before him, and then that black mist had engulfed it, and the massive Bankai had seemed to disolve, and the pain he felt with the destruction of his Zanpakutō had been unlike anything he had ever felt.

Everything within a hundred foot radius of the Arrancar had simply vanished. The buildings, the cobbled stone street, even the very _ground_ seemed to flee from the Skeleton garbed in the black robe, wearing it's golden crown atop it's head.

"You seem surprised Shinigami..." Baraggan's voice sounded from the grinning skull. "Your eyes cannot believe what they just witnessed? And here I was lead to understand that you were some kind of genius." A cruel chuckle rumbled out of him, "Oh well, it doesn't matter. Even a genius can do nothing to stop the endless march of time. But I am in a good mood now, so I shall explain to you what happened. Your bankai, as well as everything else, rotted away under the power of my Respira."

That same black mist rushed forth from the Espada's mouth, and Kurotsuchi's eyes widened even further when he witnessed it come close to a building nearby. The building simply rotted away to nothing but dust. As he threw himself backwards to aviod the oncoming tide of death, Kurotsuchi's brilliant mind marveled at the pure destructive capabilities of the Arrancar's power.

"Too bad, Shinigami." Baraggan's voice sounded behind Kurotsuchi. "It seems that the gift of strength that Shiro-sama has granted me completely removed any chances you ever had of winning." A skeletal hand closed down on Mayuri's shoulder it's grip like tempered steel, actually snapping the bones within. The captain's gaze whirlled around just in time to see the skull grinning back at him, "Respira."

* * *

Kyouraku felt a shiver run up him as the black reiatsu engulfed his surroundings. It felt like heavy rain falling across his skin before evaporating into the air and growing stronger. Gripping his swords tightly, he shivered again. "This is just insane..."

"No." Ulquiorra swept the reiatsu away with a flap of one wing. "This is the natural order of things. Shinigami and Hollows will always do battle." He formed a lance of reiatsu in his hand and flashed forward aiming to cut the captain in half.

Kyouraku felt his eyes widen in surprise, bringing his blades up in defense. Even so, the blow was enough to knock him severa yards away, "Wow you're strong!" He exclaimed as he finally came to a stop, "Fast too... If I'd been just a little slower, that'd have been my head."

"Do not insult me, Kyouraku Shunsui." Ulquiorra turrned to face his opponent, holding up his reiatsu lance, "You are more than capable of keeping up with my speed as it is now. During his reign, Aizen-sama provided us all with detailed information about your combat strengths. The only unknown factor in this battle is your Bankai."

Kyouraku gave a small smile. "Scary, scary. You knowing everything about me put's me at a disadvantage."

"Hardely. You have studied war under the guidence of Yamamoto Genryusai for well over three hundred years. Now. Fight with your true skill. If you do not, you will die, and your master will watch as I present your severed head to Shiro-sama."

Again, Ulquiorra flashed in, striking for a decapitating blow. This time however, Kyouraku rolled to the side, stopped his momentum part way, and threw himself back towards the now overextended Arrancar, bringing his twin Zanpakutō to slash viciously across his chest. As they were about to strike, he noticed a dark orb appear in front of Ulquiorra, the Espada's free hand had moved around to point at the approaching Shinigami across his chest, and was now charging a terrifyingly powerful Cero.

The black beam of reiatsu lanced out, cutting yet another swath of devestation through the Seireitei, Kyouraku meanwhile reappeared behind Ulquiorra, having flash stepped away at the last second to avoid the blast. Bringing his blades up, he struck at the Espada's now unprotected back, hoping to cleave through him and end the battle quickly. Unfortunatly, his opponent shifted, allowing the blades to slice through empty air before turning and slashing with his own weapon.

As the two enemies locked blades, Ulquiorra's green eyes met his foe's. "Truly impressive, Kyouraku Shunsui. To dodge a Cero Oscuras at such close range is a feat to be proud of."

"Well thank you very much Espada-san." The captain replied with his trademark grin. "Not everyday I get an actuall compliment out of my opponent."

The two vanished once more in a blur of clashing steel, reiatsu, and motion. To an outside observer it would almost look like a series of pictures, as the two reappeared within the visual spectrum over and over again, dodging, parrying, and clashing as they moved across the battlefield. After a few moments, they had moved much deeper into the Seireitei, Kyouraku broke away from his opponent.

"Well, you're a lot stronger than I thought you'd be." He panted as he spoke.

"Praise will buy you little, Kyouraku Shunsui. My orders are to eliminate you, and nothing will stop me from fufilling Shiro-sama's orders." Ulquiorra stepped through the air slowly, moving closer to his opponent.

A sad glimmer appeared in the Captain's eye at the statement. "I see. So nothing will convince you to stop this fighting eh?" Ulquiorra shook his head, "That's a shame. I kinda liked you and that brown haired Espada. Well, I guess I have no choice." Turning his blades to point downwards, Kyouraku locked eyes with his enemy, the steel in the man's gaze was enough to even give Ulquiorra pause. "Bankai."

* * *

"The hell kinda crazy power is this?!" Lillinette Gingerback screamed as Starrk hauled her out of the way of another incoming wave of what looked like cherry blossoms. Except that cerry blossoms didn't leave buildings as rubble in their wake. "How the fuck is this even fair?!"

"Something tells me that this guy doesn't like the word 'fair' in his fights." Starrk growled as he leaped away from the wave. "Kuchiki Byakuya... As dangerous as Aizen and Shiro-sama both said, and with what looks like a stick shoved up his ass about a mile long." He grimanced as the wave turned in it's course once again and roared towards them. "Looks like we won't be able to take it easy this fight... Dammit..."

Nearby, Byakuya watched as the brown haired Espada once more pulled his Fracción to safety. Frowning he finally spoke, the waves of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi pulling away from the pair for a few moments. "Why do you work so hard to save your subordinate? It seems unusual for an Espada. Also, if you allowed her to take the blow for you, you may have already been able to hurt me."

Starrk took a few moments to catch his breath before replying. "I won't expect you to understand fully Captain-san. Still, I should thank you for backing off for a few seconds, let's us do this." He placed his hand on Lillinette's head. "You ready Lillinette?"

The shorter Arrancar nodded, her expression hard and angry as she glared at the Shinigami across from them. "Let's kick his ass." She said as she began to disperse into a cloud of reiatsu.

 _What?_ Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise as the girl vanished, and the Espada's reiatsu suddenly intensified greatly. "What did you do?"

Starrk's eyes began to glow pale blue. "When most Arrancar are created, they seal their power into the form of a Zanpakutō." His voice seemed to be layered with that of the girl as he spoke. "For us, our power was so great that we had to seal it in a completely separate form. We are Coyote Starrk and Lillinette Gingerback, the Primera Espada." Byakuya's eyes widened even further, as he threw up a hand, directing the millions of blades of his bankai to attack the Espada. However, even with the speed increase from directing with his hand, it was not faster than Starrk's voice. "Kick About, Los Lobos."

The blowback from the released reiatsu scattered the blades of Senbonzakura as though a localized hurricane had just erupted. Even Byakuya, who was widely considered to be one of the most powerful of the Gotei 13 Captains felt himself shiver slightly at the weight of the reiatsu pressing down on him as he concentrated on regathering his bankai around him.

The winds eventually died down, revealing the Espada kneeling on the air. He was now garbed in a grey furred coat that hung down to his knees, along with knee high boots and elbow length gloves of the same style of fur. His left eye was covered by a form of eyepatch, a pair of bandoleers reached from his elbows to the back of his shoulders, and in his hands were a pair of ornately decorated black pistols.

"Well then." He said, standing up casually, "Sorry Captain-san. But now it's time to kill you." Pointing his left hand pistol at the Shinigami, he pulled the trigger, firing off six deep blue ceros in the span of a few seconds. As he did this, his right hand pistol slid down into a holster at his hip.

Byakuya swore silently to himself as he threw himself out of the path of the oncoming ceros. _So his Reserrecion allows him to attack with cero using the pistols to manifest the charge._ He thought as he moved, _If that's the case, then his right hand pistol is saving power for a strong attack._

As if to validate the captain's thoughts, Starrk flicked up his right pistol, lowering the left hand one to it's holster. The cero that fired from the raised gun dwarfed the previous shots by several orders of magnitude. Byakuya raised his hand, bringing the blades of Senbonzakura Kageyoshi up to block against the oncoming blast. As the Zanpakutō hid him from the Espada's view, he swiftly used several shunpos to move around to Starrk's blind-side.

Unfortunately, the view that awaited the Captain as he reappeared was the barrel of Starrk's left pistol, now apparently recharged. Another slew of cero blasts followed, forcing Byakuya to dodge again.

 _Damn..._ Byakuya swore to himself as he kept moving to avoid the attacks. _This tempo is entirely in his favor._

"You're pretty fast Captain-san." Starrk commented from where he stood, flicking his right gun back up once more and fireing another monstrously powerful shot.

"And you are predictable, Espada." Byakuya flashed forward, reappearing beside Starrk and grabbing his left hand to stop him from using it. "You need to charge up your right hand gun in order to use it, don't you." As he spoke, his bankai crashed towards the two of them like a wave of pure destruction.

"Oh? I don't remember saying that." Starrk smirked, shifting his right hand pistol to point directly between the captain's eyes.

Byakuya's eyes widened in horror as a cero charged in the barrel of the supposedly useless weapon. He managed to flash step away just as the shot blasted forth, however even his speed wasn't enough to escape completely unscathed, reappearing with a smoking burn along his cheek.

Starrk let out a low whistle, "Damn. I was sure I had you there, you really are a quick one."

"And you are far more dangerous than I first thought." Byakuya said, wiping a sleeve along his cheek. "I suppose I have no choice." The air around the two grew dark as first hundreds, and then seemingly thousands of swords appeared in several rows surrounding them. "Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi."

 _Stark, this looks like it could be bad._ Lillinette's voice echoed in Stark's mind, _Feel his reiatsu? He's taking off the kiddie gloves._

 _You've gotta be kidding me... This Bankai thing is like a fucking swis-army knife._ Starrk grumbled to himself as one of the blades of light flew down to Byakuya's waiting hand. _What's next? He turns it into a bazooka? Actually, scratch that. I'd rather fight this than a bazooka._ "So, you feel like elaborating on this lovely little death-trap you've got us in Captain-san?"

"Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi, the true form of my Bankai. Within this space, you cannot escape my blade."

"Huh... Not exactly what I wanted to hear. But ok." Byakuya flashed forward, stabbing his sword at Starrk's uncovered eye, "Woah!" The Espada flipped backwards, kicking his booted foot against the side of the oncoming katana to knock it aside as he fired off another cero from his pistol.

Byakuya vanished as the blast closed with him, reappearing beside Starrk and slashing down. The Espada swore violently as he threw his weight away from the oncoming blade, coming up with a deep, bleeding gash along his cheek, mirroring Byakuya's earlier injury.

 _Starrk you asshole!_ Lillinette screamed in his head, _Pay attention!_

 _I know! I know! Shit this guy's speed just skyrocketed._ Taking a deep breath, he rose to stand once again. "Ok Captain-san, I'm impressed. 'Spose I need to kick up my game too." Raising his pistols to aim at his enemy, he let out his breath slowly. "Mellizo Cero Metralleta."

What happened next could only be called a rainstorm of ceros. Hundreds of them erupted from the barrels of both guns, filling the space in front of him with a nearly solid wave of blue destruction. Byakuya's eyes widened in shock, as he threw himself towards the Primera's side, trying to get in closer. However Starrk simply shifted his aim, bringing the seemingly endless column of death back into focus.

Dammit! Byakuya tried to dodge once more, but this time he was just a fraction too slow, as first one cero, then another, and another, and then another dozen struck him almost simultaneously. The resulting explosion was enough to even force Starrk to jump away.

"Ok. May have gone a little overboard there..." He said as he landed.

 _Ya think? Wasn't this guy one of the ones on Shiro-sama's list?_

"No, that was his little sister. I think... Shit, was this guy really on that list?"

 _Starrk... you fucking idiot._

"Well, hang on. Looks like we may not get in trouble with the boss anyways." The smoke began to clear, revealing Byakuya, still standing, breathing heavily, and bleeding from several new wounds across his body. "You want to keep this up Captain-san? Or can we just all take a nap now? Pretty sure Shiro-sama want's you alive for some reason or another, so I'd really rather not have to kill ya."

"You... really think... I'll let you escape... Espada...?" Byakuya gasped for breath as he struggled to stand.

"Come on Captain-san..." Starrk grumbled, holstering his guns. "You've already proven you're awesome. You've fought hard. Congratulations. Now for the love of god, just give up already."

"No..." Byakuya's eyes locked with his opponent's. "I will never... surrender... while I still have breath in my lungs..." Suddenly the swords around them vanished and a single blade, seemingly made of pure white light, appeared in his hands, and an immense level of reiatsu burst forth from him, seeming to form a pair of massive white wings behind him. "Shūkei: Hakuteiken."

"Looks like I'm gonna need to beat you down after all..." Starrk sighed, as the bandoleers hanging from his arms glowed with reiatsu, producing a pair of reiatsu blades. "Try not to die from this kid. I'd hate to get yelled at by Shiro-sama."

The two lunged at each other, blades first in one final clash. The eruption of reiastu from their final strike leveled almost a square mile of the Seireitei around them.

* * *

The world seemed to darken as Kyouraku Shunsui finally released his bankai. Looking around, Ulquiorra noted just how heavy the air felt with the Captain's reiatsu. "Impressive. For a mere Shinigami to effect the world around him like this with his abilities."

"You wound me Espada-san. You hold us Shinigami in such low esteem." Kyouraku stood about a dozen paces away, his blades held casually at his side. "You could at least _try_ sounding impressed."

"Hmph. Perhaps if my enemy were to actually provide me with a real reason to be impressed I would." Ulquiorra's green eyes flashed challengingly. "And I would appreciate it if you could at least use my name, Kyouraku Shunsui. I am Ulquiorra Cifer, the Cero Espada."

"Hmm? Cero Espada?" Kyouraku tilted his head in confusion. "I thought the Espada were numbered One through Ten?"

"You thought wrong Captain." Ulquiorra pointed at his opponent, charging a cero and firing it. Oddly, Kyouraku simply smiled as the blast closed with him. As it struck, Ulquiorra's eyes widened in shock, feeling something burn through his shoulder. "What?!"

"First Act: Hesitance and the Appointment of Wounds." Kyouraku coughed from the clearing smoke of the cero blast, "All wounds, I share with my enemy." Seeing his enemy's eyes harden, he smiled slightly. "Now on to Act Two: The Pillow of Shame. Wherein the warrior, distraught from his sins upon the battlefield collapsed in shame, afflicted by an incurable disease."

Dozens of black spots appeared all across Ulquiorra's body, blood pouring forth from each. "Damn." He said quietly, "This could prove... difficult."

"Ah, ah, ah. We aren't done yet Ulquiorra-san." Kyouraku said, smiling once more, and surprising the Espada with the use of his name. "Moving right along to Act Three: The Severing Abyss!" The two suddenly became surrounded by an enormous amount of water, "And now we're alone. Who will run out of reiatsu first I wonder?"

Ulquiorra looked around, the blood from his wounds mixing with the water around him. "Hmm... I admit Kyouraku Shunsui. I am most impressed. This Bankai is indeed as fearsome as I had been led to expect given Aizen's level of respect for your power."

Kyouraku smiled, feeling the water press down on him from everywhere. "Thank you very much." He smiled, giving the Espada a small nodding bow.

"However, you have unfortunately just given me an overwhelming advantage." The Shinigami blinked in confusion, and then again in shock as the wounds across Ulquiorra's body began to heal. "It has taken longer than I expected, I suppose that is because of the nature of the injuries. However, my ultimate strength is not my combat prowess, or my speed. Unlike the other Espada, I did not sacrifice my regenerative capabilities to enhance my strength. So unlike you, I can heal from what is about to happen."

He began charging another massive Cero Oscuras, however this time, instead of aiming it at the Shinigami, he turned his fingers to point at his opposite shoulder.

Kyouraku's world suddenly ignited with pure, undiluted pain as the rules of his Zanpakutō forced him to share the damage inflicted upon his enemy, in this case, a fully charged Cero blast point blank to the shoulder. When his vision finally cleared, he looked to find his arm hanging limply, held to the shoulder by only a few remaining strands of muscle, while across the distance, Ulquiorra's wound was already closing slowly.

Slowly, Ulquiorra began to walk forward once more, speaking as he did. "You are indeed worthy of respect Kyouraku Shunsui. Your tenacity and skill in to be admired. Had you fought any of my fellow Espada, you may indeed have defeated them." He stopped a few paces from the captain, "In deference to your abilities, and out of respect for your power, I shall show you why Shiro-sama made me his Cero Espada."

All across the Seireitei, combatants paused in their battles, forced to shiver in unexpected fear as, while the world had grown darker when Kyouraku had released his bankai, now the sky turned to pitch black. Within the confines of the Severing Abyss, the reiatsu unleashed by Ulquiorra actually had the effect of pushing the dark water away from him, as though it couldn't stand to be near him.

"Ressurecion: Segunda Etapa." Ulquiorra's fully resurrected form stood before a stunned Kyouraku, his long black wings stretching wide. "I am the only Espada to have achieved this state. It can be compared to the bankai of your Shinigami, such is it's power. This is the form of True Despair, Kyouraku Shunsui. And now, it has come for you."

A fresh burst of reiastu from the Espada shattered the Severing Abyss as though it were little more than glass. Kyouraku had only a heartbeat to comprehend what had happened before Ulquiorra's talon-like claws punched through his unharmed shoulder and the long, whip-like tail flicked around his throat. The pain was such that he couldn't even bring himself to scream.

Ulquiorra glanced down to his own shoulder, calmly noting the lack of shared wounds. "Hmm... It would seem that your ability has been broken Captain. A pity." He slowly pulled his claw from Kyouraku's shoulder and set the tip of a claw between his eyes. "You are an impressive warrior, truly worthy of the respect that Aizen gave you. However, I was ordered to ensure you do not survive this battle."

The last sight that Kyouraku Shunsui saw, was an orb of pure black reiatsu, before darkness engulfed his senses and he knew nothing more.

* * *

Closer to the shattered south gate, Baraggan looked up, a shiver of genuine fear lancing down his spine. " _This_ is Ulquiorra?" He asked in utter disbelief, "That little punk was hiding strength like this the whole time?"

"Well, I suppose that this explains why Shiro-sama made him the Cero." The voice of Luraunt sounded behind him. The Octava stepped gingerly around the dissolving remains of Kurotsuchi Mayuri, his resurrection once again sealed away within his Zanpakutō, followed closely by his new Vizard pets.

"Hmph." The older man snorted. "I suppose it does. And what exactly are these two _children_ doing alive?"

"You mean my new assistants? Why they are being good little helpers and following their master where he tells them to." The flamboyant Espada laughed cruely, stroking a finger along Mashiro's chin lightly. "Do you think that Shiro-sama will like them? I'm planning on giving them to him as a gift." The former Vizard made a small chirping like noise, acting more like a puppy than the person she had been even just a few minutes before.

The skeletal visage considered him for a few moments before bursting out laughing. "Bahhahaha! You arrogant whelp! You're even more twisted than that little shit Granz."

"Thank you, thank you. You are too kind Baraggan-sama." Luraunt gave a flamboyant bow.

"Yes, I think that Shiro-sama will find your gift most enjoyable."

The two stood, watching the ongoing battles for a few moments. Finally Luraunt spoke up, "Well, I suppose we should go make ourselves useful once more." Baraggan chuckled as the two leaped once again into the air.

* * *

"Cascada!" Hallibel shouted launching an immense surge of water towards her young opponent.

Hitsugaya raised his blade, "Ryūsenka!" He yelled as the water struck, freezing the oncoming torrent almost instantly, the force of the Espada's own attack serving to shatter the ice to a fine powder.

"Hmph. I see you've grown somewhat stronger since our last battle Captain." Hallibel stood above the battlefield, her released form radiating power.

Hitsugaya panted heavily, struggling to catch his breath. _How in the hell did she get so strong?! It's barely been a few months!_ Wiping his brow, he forced himself to nod. "You seem to have gotten considerably stronger yourself... Tia Hallibel."

"You remember my name," She smirked, "I'm flattered." She raised her blade, pointing it down at the white haired captain. "La Gota."

Several heavy shots of condensed water ripped through the air towards Hitsugaya, forcing him to throw himself to the side, dodging back and forth as missiles of water smashed with stone shattering force into the ground behind him. _Dammit!_ He swore to himself. _At this rate this fight will either end up like last time, or she'll actually hit me._

Hallibel continued firing off shots, an almost bored look on her face. _Hmm... was it just my imagination?_ She thought, watching Hitsugaya move, _I thought that he'd improved... but this feels too much like our last battle. Could it be that the power I received from Shiro-sama really was so potent that this battle is no longer even a contest?_ Finally she stopped shooting, frowning as she did.

Hitsugaya frowned, watching her closely. "What? Did you get bored or something?" He sneered.

"No." She replied, dropping down from the air to land on top of a building that had somehow survived the conflict thus far. "I am simply thinking about how futile this is." At his silent snarl, she continued, "You should already have realized the gap in our strengths. If we continue this battle, you will die. Badly." Her frown deepened as she spoke. "Oddly enough, I don't want you dead just yet, Hitsugaya Toushiro. I would rather you actually be able to put up a decent challenge before I kill you."

"So on top of wanting to destroy my home, and all I have ever known, now you insult me!?" He lunged forward, his blade aimed straight for her heart.

Hallibel sighed as he charged, "A shame." She raised her blade into the air, "Cascada!"

 _Shit!_ Too late, Hitsugaya realized his mistake as he was unable to slow himself in time, and the torrent of water slammed upwards into him, made even more powerful by the addition of the water from her earlier barrage of attacks. The water surged upwards, battering him from all directions with the force of a hurricane.

Hallibel stood still, watching for a few moments, before shifting her blade to point it directly at her opponent. "Vórtice." At the command, the water all condensed into a tightly packed sphere, with Hitsugaya trapped within it. She stepped forward, until she was within arm's reach of the sphere, gazing in at him. He was practically unconscious from the damage he'd already taken. "Such a waste of talent." She pushed her blade into the water, "Hirviendo."

The sphere seemed to explode outwards as the water within it reached the boiling point almost instantly. The effect on the sphere's occupant was devastating. Hitsugaya's body could only barely be recognized as human anymore as it fell from the air. Hallibel caught the body, laying it down on the roof, looking down at it. She blinked in shock and surprise when it moved.

 _He survived?!_ She thought in shock. "Hmm..." She knelt down beside the young captain, "Perhaps you aren't a complete waste after all..." Sealing her Zanpakutō once more, she picked him up and jumped towards the ruins of the south gate. "Apacchi! Mila Rose! Sung-Sun!" She called out as she arrived.

Immediately, the three Fracción appeared before her, called away from their rampages through the Rukon district. "Yes Hallibel-sama?" Apacchi asked, kneeling before her mistress.

"Take this one to Las Noches." The Fracción blinked in surprise at the order, "I have a use for him, and it doesn't involve him dying just yet."

"I-if you say so Hallibel-sama." Mila Rose said, sounding unsure, "It's just that... a Shinigami like this?"

"Enough." Hallibel snapped, handing Hitsugaya to Sung-Sun. "I have to get back to the battle. Take him back to Las Noches, and see to it that he recovers, but do not let him regain consciousness until I return."

The snake-like woman bowed, cradling the broken Shinigami captain in her arms like a child. "As you wish Hallibel-sama. I will ensure he receives the care you request. Although I cannot possibly fathom why."

The three turned simultaneously, opening a Garganta and vanishing into it with the captain of the Gotie 13's tenth squad in tow.

* * *

In the skies above the Seireitei, Shiro and Commander Yamamoto broke apart, stopping several meters apart and watching each other closely. As they studied each other, Shiro grinned wickedly.

"You seem to be on the losing end of this war Osan." He sneered, "You must have noticed all those reiatsu sources disappearing one by one." He looked up as he spoke, "Oh, and little Toushiro just vanished as well." He let out a cruel laugh, "It seems that the Gotie 13 is losing members at a disturbing rate."

The hate filled snarl that crossed Yamamoto's face could have killed a weaker being. "I see now what Urahara said about you using Kurosaki's memories as a weapon. But you will find nothing within those memories to serve any other purpose than hasten your own death." The flames of Ryuujin Jakka flared up behind him as he spoke.

Shiro shrugged slightly. "Perhaps not. I suppose that just means that I'm going to need to stop holding back." He held up his Zanpakutō, aiming it at the ancient Shinigami's heart. "Advance forward, Zangetsu."

* * *

 **Holy crap that took me way too long to finish writing, I am so sorry guys.**

 **Anyways, A couple more battles come to a close, and the battle of bosses is about to kick into high gear.**

 **So, a couple little things this time around: First off, in answer to a question by reader "Maxe03", it's not that Urahara _hates_ Shiro, He views Shiro as his single greatest failure. One that takes a perverse pleasure in tormenting him for that fact. **

**Second: as requested by reader "Natsu is Awesome", here is a list of translations, both from last chapter, and for a couple items in this chapter.**

 ** _Imperator_ : A Latin word, originating from the Roman Republic. Originally meaning "Commander", when Augustus founded the Roman Empire, the term was adopted to refer specifically to the Emperor himself.  
So, Visal ****Mars's release can be translated as either "Commander" or "Emperor"**

 ** _Vivat Rex:_ Latin, translating to mean "Long Live the King"**

 _ **Mono** **Dios:**_ **Spanish, translating to mean "Monkey God". (If it wasn't obvious by his name and design, I had based Sun Shira off of the famous Sun Wukong the Monkey King from the Chinese tale "Journey to the West". He obviously wasn't _quite_ as overbearingly awesome as the source material, but then again if he was, he'd have flattened the Seireitei by himself, and taken every woman present to be his pleasure slaves :P )**

 _ **Imaginarium:**_ **A place devoted to the Imagination. (Also a kick ass album by the symphonic metal band Nightwish. :P)**

 _ **Mellizo Cero Metralleta:**_ **Spanish, meaning (roughly) "Twin Sub-Machine Gun Zero". Basically it's the same as the _Cero Metralleta_ that Starrk used in the series, but firing from both guns instead of just one. Double the fun, double the damage :D**

 _ **Vórtice:**_ **Spanish, meaning "Vortex". Seemed like the sort of ability that Hallibel would possibly know/use, something to capture her prey alive. (Mostly)**

 **All the other skill names and such are taken directly from the original Series, so those ones should be known to you by now. :)**

 **And finally, I need to apologize once again to you guys. This chapter took _way_ too long to finish, and I have absolutely no good excuse as to why. I could say writer's block and be done, but that feels both half-assed, and (at least partly) untrue. So again, I am so sorry that the update time has slowed to such a crawl, I'll try my best to speed up once again from now on, but I can make no actual promises.**

 **Anyways, that's it for now. See you all next time, and Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate, and Happy New Year :D**


	12. Chapter 12

"Advance forward. Zangetsu" The sky turned a deep shade of blood as Shiro released his Zanpakutō. Once again taking on the terrifying form that had destroyed the false Karakura town. "All right Ji-san." His voice hissed out from the skull mask he now wore, "Are you ready to die?"

"Hmph. Impudent Whelp." Yamamoto Genryusai growled, feeling the fear that his opponent's reiatsu caused thunder through him. "You forget who I am."

"You know... Aizen said the exact same thing," Shiro said casually, tapping a long, sharp claw against his chin. "Right before I ripped his body to ribbons."

The ancient Shinigami shifted slightly, his reiatsu beginning to rise. "Aizen was indeed powerful. But his true strength lay in his manipulative abilities. I am not nearly so gentle."

Suddenly, Yamamoto's reiatsu erupted outwards, the pressure of it was so intense that even Shiro found himself pushed slightly backwards. The young Hollow realized with a shock that the reiatsu was so dense and powerful that it was actually blisteringly hot, "Bankai." The Commander's voice growled, the word sending a thrill of excitement down Shiro's spine, "Zanka no Tachi."

The flames of Ryujin Jakka seemed to vanish, leaving only the katana, a thin whisp of smoke rising from the blade which now glowed a dull red. Shiro blinked in mild confusion, "That's it...?" He asked with a hint of disappointment in his voice, "I was hoping for something a bit... grander."

"I am not here to entertain you, nor impress you." Yamamoto replied with an odd smirk, "I am here to kill you." The old Shinigami then lunged forward, his Zanpakutō coming up in a stab straight at Shiro's chest.

Shiro's eyes widened in shock behind his mask as the katana drew closer, _Something's wrong here..._ He thought, realizing just how much heat it was actually giving off. _Holy fuck!_ He thought as he dodged away with a sonido, _Just how hot is that blade?!_ Eyeing the sword warily, he released a powerful cero at his foe before flashing away once again. He finally came to a stop in a district where he couldn't sense any of his hollows nearby and fired another cero at the old Shinigami. _Need to test this..._ He thought.

He didn't need to wait long, as Yamamoto appeared above him only moments later, dropping downward with a heavy slash. Shiro once more dodged away, but this time watched where the blade struck. He felt his eyes widen once again as the building that the Zanpakutō struck was instantly disintegrated, along with a massively long 'v' shaped swath of land behind it.

A low whistle escaped from Shiro's mask as Yamamoto turned once more to face him. "Damn Ji-san... I retract my previous statement. I'm impressed. Just what do you have hidden in that blade? A fucking _sun_?"

Yamamoto snorted derisively, "More or less. I see that the battle senses of Kurosaki Ichigo are still alive and well in that abomination of a form." He once more took up a ready stance, preparing to strike again.

 _This may actually be bad..._ Shiro thought to himself, absently flexing his claws as he steadied himself for the old man's next attack. _This old bastard's power is no joke. That last attack would actually have done more damage than I'm comfortable taking..._

"You cannot win Monster." Yamamoto said with a calm growl, his ancient eyes steadily locked on the King of Hueco Mundo. "Zanka no Tachi has sealed my victory. It only now is a matter of time before you accept this and surrender to your death."

Shiro felt his face twist in a disgusted grimace. "You know Old Man, you can be a really arrogant prick sometimes. Just because your offensive game is on my level now, it means nothing if you can't hit me."

"Then we have a stalemate." The old shinigami shrugged. "You cannot touch me, my body is clad in the same heat that my blade is. You would simply be sacrificing your arm."

Shiro snarled in anger. "Oh I hate you old man."

"The emotion is mutual." Yamamoto's eyes narrowed.

"Well then, I way as well test this out." Shiro sighed taking a wide stance, and flexing his claws once more, reiatsu began to gather at the tips of each claw. Shiro's yellow eyes flashed from beneath his mask, "Getsuga Saigai"

The Hollow King slashed forward with both hands, the massive discharge of reiatsu exploding from the tip of each finger. Each blade of energy arced forwards as it's own Getsuga. Yamamoto snarled in frustration as the cataclysmic attack closed in on him, "Zanka no Tachi Kita: Tenchi Kaijin." He slashed forward unleashing the most powerful attack at his disposal.

* * *

At the ruins of the south gate, what remained of the Gotei 13, and the hollows who still fought all stopped, looking north as a blast rocked Soul Society. The collision of Reiatsu and flame erupted high into the air as a swirling vortex of devestation.

Grimmjow let out a low whistle, "Damn... the boss seems to be having fun." He grumbled as he kicked another Shinigami hard enough to collapse the poor man's ribcage. "And here I am, stuck fighting the worthless rabble."

The blue haired Espada let out a string of violent curses as he looked around. He had been eager to find an exciting battle since Shiro had empowered him, but he had yet to find an opponent that was actually worth his time. Snarling again, he grabbed another charging shinigami and smashed them into the shattered remains of the street, once again killing them instantly.

Growling in anger, Grimmjow picked up the dead shinigami and hurled it at several others. "COME ON!" He howled in fury, "Isn't there ANYONE left in your numbers that can fucking fight me?!"

For several moments, only silence seemed to answer him. Then quite suddenly, the light of the sun seemed to black out. Looking up, Grimmjow's eyes widened as a building crashed downwards towards him, seemingly having been ripped out of it's foundations and thrown at him.

Grimmjow rolled swiftly out of the building's path. However, as he rose up, a small jingle of bells was his only warning as a swirling, mass of reiatsu and maniacal laughter crashed through the wall towards him.

Swearing violently, Grimmjow was just barely able to raise his own Zanpakutō in defense in time, the massive figure that had attacked him continued it's momentum regardless, smashing the Espada heavily into the wall behind him.

"Damn that old bastard for stealing my fight with Shiro!" The large shinigami swore loudly as their blades sparked from the stress of the clash between them. "Ah well, at least I've finally found one of you bastards actually worth killing!"

Grimmjow's eyes widened as he realized just who he was currently facing. He vaguely recalled seeing the man through pain hazed eyes in the dome of Las Noches, "Zaraki Kenpachi..." He recalled seeing the infamously deadly fighter kill Nnoitra Gilga before his own wounds had forced him to pass out.

"Damn straight Espada!" Kenpachi laughed, lifting his sword and smashing it once more against the steel of Grimmjow's own blade. "Now you had better keep me entertained!" With no other warning, the massive shinigami swung a brutal kick into Grimmjow's side, sending the Espada tumbling away.

Grimmjow came to a skidding stop several meters away, forcing himself back to his feet as he moved. He grinned down the lane at Kenpachi, "Finally! Someone worth killing." Bringing his sword up once more in preperation to clash, he winced slightly. _That being said..._ He thought, _This fucker can't be taken lightly. That kick was fucking powerful._

Kenpachi turned, squaring himself with his opponent. "Well then, let's have us some fun." He grinned widely, suddenly lunging at the Espada, the strength of the move actually cracking the ground under his feet.

Grimmjow snarrled, moving forward to meet his enemy partway. The clash of their blades resulted in a massive burst of reiatsu that shattered the wall beside them. Before the blades could lock in their clash once again, Grimmjow leaped up and over Kenpachi in a flipping jump and slashed at the man's head. However the shinigami's speed was enough that he seemed to flow around the strike, turning to follow his opponent and bringning his sword around and up in a low, upward sweeping slash.

Swearing silently, Grimmjow managed to twist himself in midair, just as the slash flicked past him. He landed mid spin, coming up and around with a heavy roundhouse kick aimed at the shinigami's head. The blow was enough to knock Kenpachi through a wall on the opposite side of the lane, and gave Grimmjow a chance to swiftly regain his footing.

Kenpachi pushed himself back up, shoving sections of wall aside as he moved, his massive grin unchanged. "Nice moves Espada. What's your name?" He moved back out into the open.

Grimmjow grinned, "Sexta Espada, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez." He let out a slow breath, allowing the tension in his form to relax as he once more prepared to clash with the mighty shinigami.

Grinning wider, Kenpachi raised his blade to prepare to strike, "Gotei 13 Squad 11 Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi."

There was a brief pause, then the two fighters lunged once more. Their strikes were faster than eyes could follow, each warrior moving purely on instinct as they dodged, struck, clashed, and cut each other. After several seconds, Grimmjow struck with all of his might, his blade smashing Kenpachi's aside and opening the shinigami's defense just enough for Grimmjow to change momentum and stab towards his head.

There was suddenly a massive explosion of reiatsu and Grimmjow found himself thrown backwards, his chest bleeding viciously from a wickedly long cut that had appeared. Slowly picking himself up, he gasped for breath, one hand instictivly clutching at his new wound, "What... the fuck... was that...?" He looked back towards his enemy, eyes widening as he beheld the monsterous amount of reiatsu that poured from the man.

Kenpachi stood, a small cut along his right temple, and blood dripping from the tip of his Zanpakutō. The eyepatch he had been wearing blew past Grimmjow, carried on the wind. "Tch. You cut my eyepatch off jackass. Now I won't be able to have anymore fun."

"Oh?" Grimmjow's eyes narrowed, as he thought back to Shiro's briefing on Zaraki Kenpachi, "That's right... you seal your power away with that thing don't you..." He grinned, wincing slightly as more blood seeped from his chest. "Well, I'd hate to dissapoint you now." He took up his stance, placing his fingers on the flat of his sword blade. "Let me see if I can make it up to you. Grind! PANTERA!"

* * *

Tatsuki coughed as she pushed a rock off of her from where she lay. "Well... this hasn't gone as smoothly as I had planned..." She sighed, spitting dust from her mouth and forcing herself up once again. "Those bastards are just so fucking quick..."

"Give up Arisawa-san." Urahara Kisuke stepped through the hole in the wall that Tatsuki's body had made. "I may still be able to reverse your condition." His eyes were cold, as if his offer was simply made on reflex rather than heartfelt.

Tatsuki chuckled lightly, dropping back down into her stance. "No need to strain yourself there shopkeep." She sneered, "I kinda like this body, now that I'm used to it."

Kisuke sighed, raising his blade once more, "Disappointing." He lunged forward, stabbing straight towards her.

She slid to the side, allowing the blade to pass harmlessly over her shoulder and causing his momentum to bring him into her own reach. Tatsuki grinned as she saw his eyes widen in realization. "Gotcha." Her spiked gauntlet rocketed upwards towards his chin, however, the former captain's reflexes saved him as he managed to shift his momentum just in time to flip backwards.

Scowling in frustration, she pushed her advantage, flashing forward and driving her fist home into his shoulder as he landed. Kisuke let out a shout of pain as the punch connected, but used the force to spin himself out of the way as another figure flashed into the building.

Yoruichi flickered into view just as he moved, her leg scything down towards Tatsuki's exposed head. With a swear, the Cuarto Espada snapped her unused hand up to block the strike. The kick connected with her forearm with enough force to crack the ground beneath her, forcing another swear out of her.

Even as Yoruichi's kick connected, Tatsuki saw her third opponent snaking in low, armed with that wicked looking fingerblade. As Soifon closed in on her, a sudden thought caused Tatsuki to grin. Just as the 2nd Squad captain was about to strike, Tatsuki threw her legs backwards, kicking herself up into a flip and pushing herself up and over Yoruichi's leg, which was still pushing down from it's kick. This maneuver pushed Yoruichi's kick down into the path of Soifon, connecting solidly with the small captain's face. Meanwhile, Tatsuki's momentum continued around until she found her face to face with Yoruichi, allowing her to loose a solid punch to the other woman's face.

However, before the punch could connect, Kisuke's Zanpakutō flickered into view, blocking the strike and turning it aside harmlessly. With another swear, Tatsuki pushed backwards, landing some ways further into the building. "Fuck... fighting three of you is fucking hard..." She panted tiredly.

"You can't win kid." Yoruichi said calmly as she helped Soifon to her feet. "You're doing well, but you won't last."

Tatsuki spat to the side, barring her teeth in defiance. _Shit... she's right though..._ She thought as the three shinigami began to move into the room, spreading out to cut off any escape routes she may have used. _If it was even just two of them... I may be able to take them down, maybe... but all three of them at once is too much for me._ She glanced cautiously between the three of them, weighing her options.

As the three shinigami moved, Tatsuki's eyes fell once more on the wicked little Zanpakutō attached to Soifon's finger. Something about it's golden form sparked a thought in her mind. _A stinger..._ Time suddenly seemed to stop as her mind locked onto the thought. _A stinger that moves faster than the eye can follow... that is what my fists need to be for me to survive this fight..._ As her mind raced, an image flashed through it, she saw herself, but the form was completely different, transformed. _That's me! That's my Reserrecion! I see now..._

As time once more began to flow, Soifon lunged forward, her speed almost fast enough that Tatsuki couldn't follow it. However, the Espada grinned, snapping her hand up and catching the small shinigami's wrist before she could land a strike.

Soifon, Kisuke and Yoruichi's eyes all widened in shock at Tatsuki's move, and Yoruichi felt a chill run down her spine as she noticed the evil looking glimmer in the Arrancar's eyes. "I suppose I need to thank you lil'miss Captain," Tatsuki purred wickedly, grinning down at Soifon as she struggled to free herself from the vicelike grip. "Thanks to you, I finally know it's name." She then hauled the shinigami around and hurled her towards Kisuke with a sudden burst of strength.

"Soifon!" Yoruichi called out, watching her former subordinate get thrown, before turning her gaze angrilly back on the Arrancar. However, before she could do anything, her eyes widened in shock as a sudden burst of reiatsu actually pushed her backwards several inches. _What?!_

Tatsuki's eyes glowed with a wicked yellow light as she widened her stance. "Let's see what it feels like!" She laughed, "Murder! Asesinato Águijón"

* * *

The air rang out with equal parts steel and laughter as Grimmjow and Zaraki Kenpachi clashed again and again.

Grimmjow had to admit, he was impressed that the Shinigami was able to keep up with his Reserrecion's speed as he once more flitted along the roof of a building and leaped towards his foe in a lethal arc. However, once again, his claws only found the edge of Kenpachi's Zanpakutō as the man was once more able to flash his weapon around in time to block.

"This is more like it Espada!" Kenpachi laughed maniacally, slashing towards his opponent once more but finding nothing as the cat-like Arrancar flipped away from the strike. "This is a good fight!"

Grimmjow's teeth glittered in the light as he grinned at the shinigami. "Never thought I'd find myself agreeing with a fucking shinigami." He chuckled, flexing his claws as he once again lunged forward. "We're just getting started!"

Kenpachi's grin only widened as the Espada flipped mid-lunge and brought a heavy kick down towards his head. He sidestepped the kick, moving in time as Grimmjow followed it up with a flurry of strikes, his form seeming to blur as he kicked, punched, slashed and thrashed like a wild animal. Kenpachi meanwhile dodged and parried, finding time in between Grimmjow's blows to get in his own slashes and stabs.

When the two finally broke apart once more, they each bled from several small cuts and gashes. Both of them breathed heavilly, but each had a wide, crazy grin plastered across his face.

"Heh, what the hell are you? A fucking blender?" Kenpachi laughed as he rolled his neck, examining the dozens of wounds he'd sustained. "Never seen anyone flip and spin around that fast in a fight."

"What's the matter shinigami?" Grimmjow sneered, readying himself to lunge again. "You can't keep up?"

Kenpachi's eyes flashed as he chuckled once more, "Oh don't you worry about me." His feet slid back into a combat stance as he prepared to attack once more.

However, before either of them could move, a massive burst of reiatsu from nearby caught their attention, drawing their gazes away from each other for a few moments. "Oh?" Grimmjow chuckled lightly, his head tilting in mild surprise as he recognized the reiatsu, "So the kid's finally figured out her Reserrecion eh?"

"A friend of yours?" Kenpachi glanced back towards his opponent, lifting an eyebrow.

"Sorta." Grimmjow shrugged.

"Hmm... feels strong." The shinigami closed his eyes for a moment, savoring the feel of the energy, "But it looks like they're fighting Kisuke's little bitch-brigade." He shrugged, "Tch, shame I can't go fight them, they feel even stronger than you."

Grimmjow spat, his smile turning wicked, "Maybe, but you wouldn't have any fun fighting her." He then lunged, stabbing his claws towards Kenpachi's chest in a feint, before leaping at the last moment and kicking viciously towards the shinigami's head with his bladed shin.

To his credit, Kenpachi managed to recover from the feint fast enough to pull his head mostly out of the way. He was still grazed just enough to get knocked into the nearby wall and through to the next street. Grimmjow quickly pushed his advantage, leaping forward once more and aiming to shred his opponent's flesh with his claws.

This time, Kenpachi was ready, as Grimmjow came down, his foot kicked up, catching the Espada full in the chest and knocking the wind out of him. Pushing hard, he threw Grimmjow backwards and kicked himself back to standing, quickly lunging after the Arrancar and stabbing towards his chest.

Grimmjow managed to spin in the air as the stab came in, knocking the blade wide and allowing him to once again slash towards Kenpachi's chest. However, his momentum only allowed him to land a light cut as he continued to spin around and land lightly on the pads of his feet.

They both recovered at the same time, lunging forward and both stabbing as they moved. Grimmjow felt his eyes widen in pain as Kenpachi's Zanpakutō bit into his left side, but refused to give ground as his own claws pierced the same spot on his enemy. "Well..." He coughed, blood already dripping from his mouth, "This sucks..."

Kenpachi looked down at the clawed hand reaching into his chest, spitting blood as he did. "Tell me about it..." He grumbled. "Never had this sort of sychronized stab ever happen before..."

They both looked at each other and chuckled weakly, before the both pulled backwards, extricating themsleves from the clash and stumbling back. "What do you say Zaraki Kenpachi?" Grimmjow asked, holding a hand over the wound, "Put it all into one final strike?"

Kenpachi spat to the side, his expression turning sour. "Tch... This sucks." He was already having difficulty breathing he realized. "Must have nicked my lung with that stab..." With a grunt of effort, he took his sword in both hands, preparing for one final clash. "Fine then, Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez."

With a flex, Grimmjow pulled the reishi in the air towards himself, solidifying it into a set of massive arcing blades that extended from his claws, "Desgarrón!" He howled, slashing at his enemy with his most powerful ability.

As the blades of energy closed in on him, Zaraki Kenpachi inhaled deeply, raised his blade, and struck.

* * *

Shihouin Yoruichi's gaze took in the form of Tatsuki's released form with an odd mix of fear and admiration.

The young woman's features were still visible, however she was now covered in a coat of yellow and black fur, and black segmented armor. A large pair of insectoid wings grew from her back, and a second set of arms flexed out from just below her original pair. Her Tiara-like mask fragment now extended across her head as an elegantly simple golden crown.

Tatsuki looked down at her new form, her eyes wide in surprise as she flexed her fingers and felt the power flow through her body. "So this is Reserrecion..." She marveled. "No wonder Grimmjow loves to fight with his. It feels so... _right_!" Her eyes once again rose to lock with her opponents, "I hope you are ready shinigami!"

All three of them flinched, dropping down into ready stances. "Be careful Soifon, Yoruichi," Kisuke said, his voice calm despite his own unsurety. "We have no idea what she's now capable of."

"You don't need to tell us that Kisuke." Soifon spat, her glare briefly redirecting to the man she had hated for a hundred years. "We're not novices."

Tatsuki licked her lips in anticipation, her grin only widening as she noticed the bickering. As she lowered herself down into a predatory crouch, her four arms splaying out around her, she mentally examined herself in the way that Grimmjow had taught her, quickly gaining an understanding of what her body, and more importantly her powers, were now capable of.

"Lucky lil' me that this building survived up till now," She chuckled lightly as her wings began to move, flapping slowly at first, but swiftly picking up speed until they moved faster than the eye could follow, a thrumming buzzing filling the room. "Make's my opener that much stronger."

Opener...? Kisuke thought, his expression darkening in a frown as he quickly wondered what the young arrancar could possibly have planned. A moment later, his eyes widened in shock, "Soifon! Yoruichi! Get out now!" He shouted, launching a reiatsu blast at Tatsuki as he leaped backwards towards the hole in the wall.

"Too late smart guy." Tatsuki grinned wickedly, as a long, vicious looking stinger slid into view from the top of each of her wrists. "Miss Captain? Would you please kill that obnoxious man in the stupid hat?"

Soifon suddenly vanished, reappearing behind Kisuke, her eyes dull and glassy, and her Zanpakutō already thrusting forward to strike. "Soifon!?" Yoruichi cried in shock, flashing between the two and barely catching her former pupil's strike in time. "What the hell's wrong with you?"

"It's Arisawa's Pheromones!" Kisuke answered, his eyes flickering between Tatsuki and Soifon. "Her new form must have enhanced them, and made her ability to distribute them more efficient." His mind swiftly looked over all of the data he had to work with. "Her wings must double as a distribution system."

Tatsuki's grin widened once again, as she now hovered just above the ground, her wings still buzzing steadily, "Shiro-sama said you were smart." She chuckled, "Good to know you don't disappoint." With that, her body flickered out of view, reappearing over the three shinigami and lashing out at them with her murderous stingers.

Swearing violently, Yoruichi kicked her foot into Kisuke's back, knocking him out of the way and pulling herself and Soifon away in the oposite direction. As she moved however, she gasped in shock as the small shinigami in her arms drove a heavy punch into her rib cage, dislodging herself from Yoruichi's grip and once again launching herself at Kisuke.

"You deal with Arisawa!" Kisuke called out as he blocked a stab from the miniature captain, "I'll try to knock Soifon out of her control!" With that, he darted away, cutting his way through a wall and back out into the sunlight, Soifon following with ruthless focus.

"You're going to pay for that bitch." Yoruichi's eyes flared angrilly as she once more squared off against Tatsuki.

The Espada simply smiled innocently, clearly unintimidated. "Oh please. She's fine. It isn't permanent or anything. I'll give you a hint, beat me and she'll be right as rain." Tatsuki flitted back and forth lightly, hovering in the air, her arm stingers raised, ready to strike again. "Besides..." Her grin turned wicked, "Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself?"

Yoruichi felt her eyes widen in shock, even as the world seemed to blur and haze. "Shit..." She swore, suddenly staggering and struggling to even remain standing. "You cheeky little..."

"What?" Tatsuki laughed, buzzing over to her struggling opponent, "I am utilizing my natural abilities to the best effect I can muster from them. It's not my fault that I work better at dividing my prey and picking them off one at a time." Two of her hands grasped Yoruichi, cupping her beautiful features, "Don't worry, shinigami." Her silken voice purred, "I promise to make it painless."

Yoruichi gave the Espada a defiant smirk, "Hate to disappoint you kid..." She said, "But I ain't goin' down that easy." Lifting her hand to Tatsuki's chest, her smirk widened, "Thanks for holding my head steady, really helps with my aim. SHUNKO!"

Tatsuki let out a shriek of surprised pain as a massive blast of reiatsu took her full in the chest and hurled her through the room to crash painfully through the far wall. She lay there, smoke rising from her chest, staring into the sky, trying to once again catch her breath. "Dammit Tatsuki..." She chastised herself, pushing herself up and seeing her enemy shaking off the effects of her pheromones, "How many times are you gonna get your ass handed to you for thinking it's over before they're dead...?"

"You almost had me there for a second kid." Yoruichi smirked, sparks of reiatsu bursting off her body like lighting as she turned to once again face Tatsuki, "But now, I'm going to show you why they called me the Goddess of Flash." Her thighs flexed once, and she was suddenly above Tatsuki and kicking down at her head.

Eyes widening in surprise, Tatsuki moved to block, however the blow was so fast that she had barely registered it before Yoruichi had re-positioned and was striking again. And again. And again. The shinigami woman had seemingly become a living hurricane of strikes and movement, so fast that Tatsuki could only just see her out of the corner of her eyes as she moved.

This is bad. She thought as yet another strike knocked her head forward. I need to break her momentum! Mind reeling furiously, trying to see a pattern in Yoruichi's movements, she felt her anger begin to burn underneath the pain, rising with each strike. "DAMMIT!" She roared, letting loose a massive burst of reiatsu and pheromones.

Yoruichi was thrown back her head already spinning from the Espada's ability. As she collided with the wall, a flare of white hot pain exploded through her, causing her to cry out. Opening her eyes, she found her gaze inches from Tatsuki's as the younger woman drove a stinger through each of her shoulders, and pinned her to the stone wall. Yoruichi let loose a vicious snarl, lifting her foot and kicking as hard as she could into Tatsuki's stomach.

There was a ripping, popping sound, an agonizing scream of pain, and a massive spray of blood as Tatsuki's second set of arms were ripped apart, their weaponized lower section remaining in the shinigami's shoulder while the rest of the Espada fell back to land several feet away.

"You BITCH!" Tatsuki shrieked, her eyes wide with shock and pain.

"That's enough Arisawa!" Urahara Kisuke's voice echoed down from the roof of a nearby building. He stood with the unconscious form of Soifon slumped over his shoulder, his blade leveled towards the wounded Espada. "Surrender! Now."

Tatsuki slowly pushed herself up, backing away from both him and Yoruichi's struggling form. She clutched at the bleeding stumps of her missing arms, and snarled at the shinigami. "You should be happy that you have friends bitch." She said to Yoruichi before letting out another angry, pain filled roar and unleashed a massive wave of pheromones.

Kisuke shook his head, clearing away the dizziness and nausea as he looked around. Tatsuki was nowhere to be found, and her reiatsu seemed to have vanished. Sighing gratefully, he gently set Soifon down, before moving to try and cut Yoruichi loose from where she was pinned. He noted that the dark skinned woman's feet actually hung almost a foot off the ground. He then noted with a sense of dread that she had stopped struggling. "Shit!" He swore, snapping his sword along the wall behind her, cutting the nearly sword-length stiger off behind her and then doing the same to the front side.

He caught her clumsily as she fell from where she hung and quickly examined her wounds. Thanking his lucky stars, he discovered that the stinger's lengths were not serrated, allowing his to gently pull them from her shoulders. His luck seemed to end there however, as he quickly noticed traces of some form of poison leaking from the broken ends of the stingers.

Dammit! He swore to himself, picking her up gently before moving to retrieve Soifon once again and ran towards the 4th Squad barracks. "Don't you dare die too Yoruichi..."

* * *

Tatsuki stumbled through the streets of the Seireitei, the stumps of her arms wrapped tightly in a torn up shinigami kimono that she had taken from a dead man. "Shit... Shit... SHIT! Damn that bastard showing up when he did! I could have at least killed her if I'd had a few more seconds..."

As she walked, she started to realize that the ground was getting more and more broken, as though she were walking into another battlezone. Looking up, she saw dozens of shinigami bodies strewn about, and there, at the middle of the destruction, in the middle of what almost looked like a crater in the street, lay two figures.

One of them was an extremely tall shinigami. He lay on his back, a massive 'X' shaped wound cut into his chest, and his long black hair splayed out chaotically around his head. Opposite him lay Grimmjow, a single, immense slash reaching from his left shoulder all the way to his right hip. "Grimmjow!" Tatsuki forced herself to stumble forward, landing in a tumbling heap beside her comrade, "Don't be dead. Don't be dead. Don't be dead!"

She leaned over him, placing two fingers gently against his neck to see if he had a pulse, before placing her ear above his mouth. As a small, short breath brushed against her skin, her eyes widened, and she sat up once again. "Oh thank god..." She sighed. Looking around, she grabbed several kimonos from the dead shinigami nearby and used them as a makeshift bandage to stop his bleeding.

Once that was finished, she lifted her head to the sky and let loose a loud shout, "GIRI! WHERE ARE YOU?"

A moment's silence was broken by the humming sound of a sonido, heralding the arival of her fracion. "You called mis-" Giri broke off as she took in Tatsuki's state. "Mistress! Are you alright?!" She rushed forward to inspect Tatsuki's arms, but the Espada waved her off.

"I'll live. But Grimmjow won't be so lucky if we don't get him back to Hueco Mundo, NOW."

Giri nodded curtly once, turning to the other espada's prone form and carefully began to move him out of the small crater so that she could open a Garganta.

Tatsuki let out a small sigh as her Fracion went to work. However, her peace of mind was interrupted by a cough from behind her. Spinning around, she found herself staring into the eyes of what must have been Grimmjow's opponent.

"Hey woman..." He hadn't moved from where he lay, but his eyes were vibrantly fierce. "That asshole and me ain't finished..."

"You look pretty finished to me." Tatsuki said, moving towards him and sliding out one of her stingers. "But if you'd like, I could go ahead and finish you here."

"Tch. Don't insult me."

"Then shut up. You and Grimmjow can murder each other again once you're both back on your feet." With that, she retracted her stinger, and stalked back to where Giri stood over Grimmjow, ignoring the large shinigami's weak protests. "How is he? Think you can get him to Las Noches safely?"

Giri nodded and opened her mouth to respond, but a new voice cut her off. "You won't be going anywhere my dear."

Whirling around once again, Tatsuki took in the figure standing over the fallen form of Grimmjow's enemy. She was a gentle looking woman, with an almost 'matronly' feel to her appearance. Until Tatsuki's gaze reached her eyes. The woman's eyes were cold, dispassionate and filled with death. Tatsuki felt herself involuntarily shudder just looking at her. _This woman is extremely dangerous!_

"I'm dissapointed in you, Kenpachi-san." The woman said with a small smile, gazing down at the man on the ground. He simply grumbled angrily in reply. "As for you Hollows, you have invaded my home, and killed my people. You will receive no quarter from me." As she spoke, the woman slowly unsheathed a long Zanpakutō, "I am Unohana Retsu. Captain of the 4th Squad of the Gotei 13," The air suddenly grew heavy with an unbelievably powerful reiatsu, "And you are now my prey."

* * *

The streets were filled with death and chaos, but she barely registered it as she ran. She had stumbled and fallen countless times. But each time, the same thought forced her to get back up and continue running. I have to get away from them! Onwards and onwards she ran. Somehow the monsters never found her.

Eventually her flight found her in a large forest, far from the screams and the death, and the lies. She was exhausted, but she kept running, blinded by her tears and hardly caring where she went.

As she ran, she emerged into a clearing, just as someone else was walking around into her path, causing her to barrel headlong into them and bowl both of them over.

"Woah there!" The man she had run into said, chuckling slightly as he sat back up. "Easy there lil'missy."

"Sorry..." She mumbled, forcing herself to stop and breath. She moved over and slumped down against a tree and once more began to cry.

"Uh oh! Easy there kid." The man said, trying to calm her down, "I'm not mad or anything..."

"It's not you."

"Oh?" He crouched down a few feet away from her, clearly not leaving anytime soon. "What's the matter?"

"My family is nothing but liars and monsters!" She slammed her fist into the tree, causing a small trickle of blood to flick out. "I can't take it anymore!"

As she reared back to hit the tree again, his slender hand closed gently around her fist, lowering it back down. "Now, I don' know about monsters or anythin'." He gave her a thin smile, "But I do know all about liars." As he spoke he pulled a small roll of cloth from his robe and began to wrap her hand where she had hurt it, "And what I know, is that liars are what make this world turn. Everyone lies, whether its to protect the ones we love, or to hurt those we hate, that's up to us. But we all lie." He finished wrapping her hand, and set it gently in her lap, "And while I never really had a proper family, I do know that for the ones that we love, we all are willing to go to unbelievable lengths. Even lie to them. Lies that may break them at the time, but in the end, it's all for the better."

She looked up at this strange man, and forced herself to smile weakly. "You're kinda weird, you know that?"

He snickered, shrugging with a practiced ease that briefly turned into a wince which spoke of a recent injury. "I've been told that once or twice." He looked up for a few moments, looking back the way that she had come, "What's your name kid?"

"Kurosaki Karin." She said, wiping away her tears. "Although is that shitty ass dad of mine is anything to go by these days, I guess it'd be 'Shiba' Karin."

"Kurosaki?" His eyebrows raised in genuine surprise as she spoke, "You wouldn't happen to know to know a guy named Ichigo would ya? Tall? Orangeish hair?"

Her expression froze, as she thought back to the creature she had met not long ago. Finally she nodded, "Mmm. He was my brother... but he's dead." She looked up at him once again, "Why do you ask?"

"I only ask because I used to be one of your brothers biggest fans." He smiled widely, "I'm sorry to hear that he died." As he spoke, the unmistakable sound of a Hollow cry echoed up from somewhere in the forest. "Speakin' of... it ain't exactly safe aroun' here right now for a kid like you. I've been hiding out in a cave not to far from here, it ain't much, but it's safe from Hollow attacks, and it's a warm place to lay yer head for the night. What d'ya say kid? You'll probably feel better about your family after a good nights sleep away from them."

She peered at him, clearly trying to decide if she could actually trust him, however, another Hollow cry, closer this time, made her mind up for her. "Fine..." He grinned and popped up, helping her stand before turning and hiking along through the woods, with her just slightly behind him. "By the way, You never told me your name?" She asked as she stepped over a fallen log.

"My name?" He asked, smiling back at her. At her nod, his smile seemed to widen, almost reminding her of some kind of snake. "You can just call me Gin."

* * *

 **AND HOLY FUCK WE'RE BACK!**

 **After almost a solid YEAR (holy fuck it's actually been a year since I last updated this) of writer's block, I have finally completed a new chapter in this insane tale of murder and mayhem! *Trumpets sound, cheers and parades are thrown***

 **I am _SO SO SORRY_ everyone, I did not expect to have so much damn trouble with writing this chapter. But as it turned out, this was at once the hardest chapter I've written to date, and the most fun to write.**

 **One of the biggest struggles I encountered was trying to figure out what Tatsuki's Reserrecion was going to be. I knew that I wanted to keep her pheromone thing, but also expand her while still using her martial arts expertise. It wasn't easy but I eventually settled on the scary wasp lady idea that we ended up with after doing a bit of research into what animals use pheromones. Other than that, I immediately regretted opening with Shiro vs Yamamoto, mostly because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to top that fight with anything else. (Also because, as overpowered as I may have made Shiro, come on guys. Zanka no Tachi is broken as fuck!) It's a tough fight to write because one good hit from either of them will end it, and there's only so many ways I can say "He dodged out of the way of the strike in some epic looking way" before it starts to once again feel really samesy and boring.**

 **ANYWAYS! I digress. We are back, and hopefully this will be a year of actual _progress_ so that I can continue writing all of my favorite stories. Again, I apologize for my extended silence, and I thank you all for your continued support. It really does mean the world to me.**

 **Oh and before I forget: Translations:  
**

 **Getsuga Saigai: Lunar Fang of Calamity**

 **Asesinato Águijón: Killing Needle (Or Murderer's Needle)**


	13. Chapter 13

Arisawa Tatsuki flinched backwards, somehow managing to dodge the wicked slash from her opponent. Swearing violently, she tried to lunge forward and stab at the woman, but once again her every instinct screamed at her to pull away.

"You have talent." Unohana Retsu stated as the Arrancar once again managed to twist herself away from her Zanpakutō's swift movements. "It disapoints me that you are an abomination."

"Speak for yourself, you crazy bitch." Tatsuki panted heavily as she once more came to a stop several paces away. "Just who in the hell are you? Every bit of info that we had says that Unohana Retsu was just a healer. Not some kind of fucking monster."

The Shinigami simply smiled, however it was a cold, dispassionate expression. "I have no obligation to explain myself to you Arrancar." She said as she once again raised her weapon, "After all, you are going to die here."

Unohana lunged forward, stabbing towards Tatsuki's eyes. However just before the attack reached her, the world seemed to suddenly blur, and Tatsuki found herself standing several dozen paces away from the dangerous woman. Unohana bore a look of mild surprise and gazed over Tatsuki's shoulder.

"You have done well to survive till now, Arisawa." The cold, emotionless voice of Ulquiorra Scifer surprised her as the Cero Espada stepped in front of her. "But I doubt that you will be able to defeat her with your present condition." He had resealed his Zanpakutō since his previous battle, and his uniform was surprisingly undamaged.

"Thanks Ulquiorra." Tatsuki smiled sheepishly, "I don't actually think I could have avoided that stab on my own..."

Unohana gazed steadily back at them from where she stood, clearly wary of the arival of a seemingly unharmed warrior. "I recognize you." She said after a few moments, drawing the gazes of the two Arrancar back to her. "You are the one who helped Shiro get to Karakura the day he first manifested."

"That is correct, Captain Unohana Retsu." He turned to fully face her, his Zanpakutō drawn and ready, "I am Ulquiorra Scifer, the Cero Espada, and I shall be your opponent from now on."

Unohana's smile was cold and murderous. "You expect me to just let that child go?"

"She is unable to fight at full strength, and has been battling you while defending her subordinate. Had you truly planned to kill her, you have had plenty of chances." He took several measured steps forward, "And more importantly, I believe that you will be far more intent on fighting me."

"And why is that?" As she spoke, Unohana realized that during the course of the conversation, the Cero Espada's free hand had been behind his back. However, at her question, he pulled it forth, and the item held in that hand caused her heart to stop beating.

It was tattered, damaged, and burnt. But the form of Kyouraku Shunsui's flamboyant pink floral haori was unmistakable. As it fluttered in a light breeze that picked up, Ulquiorra dropped it, waiting until it hit the ground before taking one final step forward, his shoe easily grinding into the fabric. "I trust that I have your attention now." His eyes bored into her, no emotion showing, but still somehow mocking her.

Unohana let loose a fury filled shriek, lunging forward. Just as she reached him, Ulquiorra vanished in a swift Sonido, reappearing several dozen meters behind her, his Zanpakutō releasing once again. Turning on her heel, Unohana charged again, her blade clashing with the lance of reiatsu that he now wielded, "You have just signed your own death Arrancar!" She snarled angrily, pushing against him with a shocking amount of strength, actually throwing him back.

Several yards later his wings flared out, raising him up into the air. "I doubt that, Shinigami." He said, still seeming to be almost bored. He slowly returned to the ground, preparing to clash once more with his opponent. "However, for an enemy such as you, it would be disrespectful of me to not face you at full power." He once again unleashed his true form, "Ressurecion: Segunda Etapa."

"So this is the power that defeated young Shunsui..." Unohana's eyes were dark and murderous. "I expected something more. I suppose that I shall just have to take my frustrations out on you." Holding her blade forth, she locked eyes with the Cero Espada. "Bankai."

* * *

Kuchiki Rukia ran through the streets of the Seiretei, her entire frame numb with shock. _How could Ichigo do this to us...?_ She couldn't comprehend any of it. So much death, so many lives wasted. "Why..." Her voice choked out as she slowed, her eyes tracking up to the telltale flames of Commander Yammamoto's Zanpakutō that marked where the Hollow King currently fought. "Why are you doing this?! ICHIGO?!"

"Oh~? I thought I recognized this reiatsu..." The musical voice voice was Rukia's only warning as a blade scythed in, almost cleaving her in half as she threw herself backwards. "Good to see you, Rukia."

Rukia's eyes widened at the figure that stood before her. The woman was tall and beautiful, her long green hair billowed behind her as she re-positioned her blade. "Who the..." Then her gaze fell on the skull mask atop the woman's head, and the red scar across her face, "Little Nel...?"

"You _do_ recognize me! Oh I'm glad." Nel giggled lightly, clapping happily. "I would have hated to kill you without you realizing just who it was."

"W-wha...? Wait Nel. What are you talking about? We were comrades! Allies! Why do you suddenly want to kill me?" Rukia couldn't believe that the monstrously powerful reiatsu before her was the same strange little hollow child she had met several months ago.

"What do you mean 'why'?" Nel asked, seeming genuinely confused. "You know that the only reason I helped you last time was because of Ichigo. And this time, that same man has ordered all of your deaths. That's really all there is to it."

Rukia felt her strength leave her as Nel's words reached her. She slumped forward, tears already streaming from her eyes. "So... he... he really has left us..."

Nel scowled, "Oh come on lil' Ruki-chan." She teased. "You had to know that this was a possibility." Walking forward, she knelt down in front of the diminutive shinigami, "After all, you knew about the Hollow in his soul." She let her lips raise in a small smile as she cupped Rukia's chin in her delicate fingers and lifted the girl's gaze up to meet hers. "You really thought that leaving that all alone would just 'work itself out'?"

"B-but... Ichigo said..."

"I know." Nel's smile softened, "I know that he promised he would be alright. And he is! Just... maybe not in the way that you expected." She gently wiped away Rukia's tears, "You know Ruki-chan... you don't have to fight us. You could always-"

She never got to finish her thought however, as another voice cut in. "HOWL ZABIMARU!" Nel leaped backwards, as the long serpentine form of Zabimaru wrapped defensively around Rukia's sobbing form. "You stay the fuck away from her." Snarled Abarai Renji as he landed between the two women, "Touch her again an- Nel...?"

"Well, well... If it isn't the only other Shinigami that I can actually stand." Nel chuckled happily, smiling charmingly, "Hello there big guy."

"Well this sucks..." He said as his Zanpakutō retracted to it's sword form, "And here I was thinking that we were friends."

"Aww, that's cute." Nel giggled, "Wrong. But cute." She tapped her chin in thought for a few moments. "But~... I suppose that for old times sake, I _could_ just let you two go for a little bit. You know... as a way of saying thanks for all the help you've both given to Shiro-sama."

Renji let loose a snarl, "You think we're going to take your pity after what you've done?!"

"You really think you're able to fight me?" Nel asked sweetly from where she suddenly stood to Renji's left, her Zanpakutō blade resting easily against his neck.

Renji's eyes widened in horror, _I didn't even see her move!_

A small tug at his sleeve pulled his attention down, to where Rukia grasped at his arm. "W-we'll go..." She choked, her voice barely able to make it through her sobs. "We'll go..."

"Rukia..." Renji felt something in himself dangerously close to breaking at the sight of his oldest friend in this state. Finally, he sealed his Zanpakutō back into it's unreleased form, sheathing it. "Fine Nel. You win." Nel smiled, removing her blade from his throat. "But, tell 'Shiro' something for me. One day, I am going to kill him for this."

For a couple of seconds, Nel seemed shocked, then she began to laugh. Her beautifully musical voice echoing across the destroyed street. "Oh that's a good one Renji-kun. Shiro-sama will probably laugh himself half to death at that... Haaah... I'll be sure to pass it along." She grinned brightly. "But anyways, I suggest that you two get moving. I'm not going to kill you, but any of the other Espada that find you probably won't be so nice. Except maybe Starrk-san, but he's weird."

Renji threw her a glare of pure venom, before turning to Rukia and lifting her gently off the stones. "You'll regret attacking Soul Society like this Nel. Someday, it's going to come back and bite you in the ass." With that, he turned to the west and leaped, carrying his sobbing cargo away from the battleground.

Nel watched the two of them for a little while as they faded into the distance. Finally she shrugged and turned back towards the remaining battles. "Maybe." She said to herself quietly, "But I'll never regret anything that I do for Shiro-sama."

* * *

Hallibel felt the wave of terrible power long before she saw it's epicenter. The first reiatsu was clearly Ulquiorra's. His true power had shocked her to her very core when she had first felt it earlier, and even now it terrified her that the Arrancar had held such might in secret. However, the second reiatsu was equally as terrifying. Where Ulquiorra's radiated cold emptiness, this one seemed to ooze pure blood lust and hatred.

"This is bad... it may even be stronger than him..." She launched herself into the air, hurtling towards where she sensed the two were preparing to clash. As she fell through the air towards the reiatsu, she saw a disturbing black liquid washing through the streets of the Seireitei, as she watched, it coalesced towards a single point, where a woman was standing. Whatever the liquid was, it now resided all within the single form of a short but deadly looking pitch black katana. "Shit." Hallibel swore, something about this woman terrified her to her core.

Hallibel came to land just beside Tatsuki, the younger arrancar staring transfixed at the face off before them both. Where Unohana radiated cold dispassionate fury and hatred, Ulquiorra's second Ressurecion seemed to be a yawning pit of cold empty sadness. After a few moments, Hallibel realized that she and Tatsuki were not the only other Arrancar here, "You, you are Arisawa's Fraccion yes?"

Giri jumped at her words, clearly terrified, and the unexpected appearance of the Quinto Espada only making her more nervous. "Y-yes ma'am..."

"What are you even doing here? You're lucky that you haven't died from the reiatsu yet."

Giri bowed, gesturing to the prone form of Grimmjow on the ground behind her, "Mistress Arisawa ordered me to get Lord Grimmjow home to Las Noches... However the appearance of the Shinigami has kept me from opening a Garganta."

Hallibel scowled, turning back towards the others, she drew her Zanpakutō, "Then go, now. I will cover you as you get Grimmjow through the way." Giri bowed once more, turning and opening a Garganta while Hallibel stepped up beside Tatsuki, "You're injured." She said, noting the shinigami kimonos used as bandages.

"Yeah..." Tatsuki nodded, her two remaining arms held in a defensive stance. "Hurts like a fucking bitch. But I can fight."

Hallibel sighed, placing a hand on the young woman's shoulder, "Go with your Fraccion. We'll need an Espada on the other side of the Garganta to coordinate our recovery efforts. I have a feeling that this fight is going to end soon."

Tatsuki opened her mouth to argue, but Ulquiorra's voice interrupted her, "Go Arisawa Tatsuki. Shiro-sama still has a need of you. You are not allowed to perish yet."

For a few moments Tatsuki was silent. Then, finally, she let loose a sigh and leaped backwards into the closing Garganta. "You two had better not die on me." She said as the way closed over her, "I'll never forgive you."

"I never realized how sentimental you Arrancar could be." Unohana's voice sounded from across the small crater in which they all stood. "It's almost human, which is disturbing."

"And yet you allowed us a moment to evacuate our wounded." Hallibel said, leveling her blade towards the woman. "I suppose I should thank you."

"Spare me." The Shinigami rolled her eyes. "There is no more that needs be said. Prepare to die Arrancar."

The three of them all tensed, preparing to clash, however before any of them could move, something akin to a meteor smashed into the center of the crater, throwing all of them back.

"Fucking hell old man..." An angry voice snarled through the smoke. "That fucking sword of yours is like the swiss army knife from Hell."

A burst of reiatsu blasted the smoke away, revealing Shiro and Yamamoto locked in a clash, reiatsu shrouded claws locked against dull red blade. The temperature skyrocketed almost immediately to the point where stones around them began to melt.

"I suppose that I'm supposed to thank you for that backhanded compliment brat?" The ancient Shinigami spat back, pushing the Hollow King away with a burst of reiatsu. "Zanka no Tachi Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin!" He stabbed his blade into the ground, causing the stone and dirt around him to writhe and split open as skeletal forms clawed their way up to the surface. "The angry dead. Those whom I have slain over my two thousand years. Rise and destroy my enemy!"

Shiro snarled angrily. _Just when I found the density of reiatsu that would keep those fucking flames at bay long enough to murder him... now he's suddenly a fucking necromancer too?!_ "Like I said old man... 'Swiss Army Knife from Hell'. Fine then." He said leaping high into the air. "Let's see if we can't put a fucking end to this shall we?"

The skeletal warriors beneath him all struggled to reach the Hollow King for a few moments, before turning their empty gazes towards the two Espada who stood nearby, unsure of how best to assist their lord. Ulquiorra and Hallibel suddenly found themselves struggling as seemingly endless waves of skeletons threw themselves at them, clawing and shrieking as they attempted to kill the hollows before them.

Up above, Shiro barely noticed his subordinates, his whole focus solely on the form of the ancient Shinigami below him. Once more he began to gather reiatsu in the tips of his claws, however this time, he also raised his hand up and drew it along the length of his horn, opening a small cut and smearing the blood along the horn. "Let's see if this'll fix my problems... Mugen no Yoru!"

The attack consisted of ten Getsugas, each fired from a different claw, and a full powered Gran Rey Cero, all combined into a single massive blast. The result, was devastation unlike anything Soul Society had ever witnessed. Near the destroyed gate, every hollow that remained, save for those who had become Arrancar, was instantaneously disintegrated by the unleashed reiatsu. Several of the surviving Shinigami also died from the pressure alone.

Nel struggled to stay on her feet as the blast pressure smashed into her, nearly bowling her over. Baraggan smashed his axe into the ground, using the massive weapon as an anchor to keep from being blown away. Lisa and Mashiro stood, arms splayed out attempting to protect their new master from the oncoming blast, while Luraunt himself struggled to open a Garganta to allow him to escape.

Starrk stood, holding tightly to the white cloth of his now unconscious foe, while his other hand dug deeply into the side of a building, keeping them both in one spot. "This friggin' sucks!" He shouted over the wind, "What the hell is Shiro-sama fighting!?"

"Who fucking cares?!" Lilinette screamed from his pistol holster. "Just don't you fucking dare let go!"

At the blast's epicenter, two figures moved, there was one more immense burst of reiatsu, and the world was suddenly still.

* * *

Ulquiorra slowly opened his eyes. Looking around, he found himself strewn in the ruined rubble of a building. His Ressurecion had sealed itself once more, probably due to the overwhelming assault of reiatsu that Lord Shiro's attack had created. Slowly, the Cero Espada pushed himself up, first to sitting, and then to his feet and began to look around.

To his mild surprise, he found himself near the Seireitei border wall, meaning he had been thrown at least two kilometers from where he and Hallibel had been fighting. Looking towards the direction he had come from, he beheld a massive cloud of smoke and ash. Looking around once more, his _Pesquisa_ detected Hallibel's reiatsu in the ruins of another building not far from him. Travelling with a swift series of _Sonidos_ , he quickly arrived at the location in question.

Pushing aside various pieces of rubble, Ulquiorra dug through the ruin, until he finally found the Quinto Espada. "Are you alive, Tia Hallibel?" He asked, surprised by his own concern for her safety.

A small groan reached his ears, "If I'm not, and this is Hell... can I finally sleep?"

"No. We must make sure that Shiro-sama is alive and unharmed."

Another groan. Then, "Ugh... Fine..." Hallibel sat up, grimmacing in pain. She had several dozen cuts and bruises from her less than elegant mode of transportation to this point, but otherwise seemed unharmed. "Too think that old man was able to fight Shiro-sama on equal footing... neither of us ever stood a chance..."

"That doesn't matter now." Ulquiorra said, taking her hand and pulling her upright. "Come."

The two leaped into the air, travelling quickly towards were they had last seen their lord. As they grew closer, the extent of Shiro's last attack began to become clear. Soul Society now sported a massive crater, nearly a full kilometer across. Within it, there was nothing but dirt and rubble, beyond it's edge, chaos and devastation from the debris of the blast itself. At the edge of the crater, Ulquiorra saw the figures of the remaining Espada gathered. With a gesture to Hallibel, the two descended to join their comrades.

"So you survived..." Baraggan sneered, clearly unhappy that the Cero Espada still stood.

"What happened?" Asked Nel, trying to peer through the smoke.

"Aizen's information on Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai's strength did not properly do the Captain Commander of the Shinigami justice." Ulquiorra said as he landed, "He was fully capable of facing Shiro-sama on equal footing." The other's grew pale at the Cero's description, "Shiro-sama was forced to unleash an attack that I have never seen before. But the attack's effect seems apparent."

"No kidding..." Sighed Starrk, Lilinette once again at his side. "You think anything survived that?"

"Wait." Lilinette said suddenly, her head cocked to the side as if trying to listen to something. "You guys hear that?"

The others all went silent for a moment, straining to hear what the diminutive arrancar had. After a few heartbeats, they heard it: the sound of steel clashing, coming from the crater.

"You've got to be shitting me..." Starkk said with a look of pure shock on his face, before flashing out of sight into the smoke of the crater. The other Espada looked at each other once, and then lunged forward as well.

A few minutes of travel brought the six Arrancar to the center of the crater, where a dumbfounding sight awaited them. Shiro, once again in his sealed form, clashed with Captain Commander Yamamoto, who's blade appeared to also be sealed once again. The two leaders each bled from at least a dozen cuts and wounds, but the still fought with a terrifying ferocity that defied both their physical state, and their obvious exhaustion.

"For... fucks... sake... old man..." Shiro panted, as his blade once again clashed with the ancient shinigami's, "Just... fucking... DIE already..." He withdrew his strike, and then slashed in with renewed anger, cutting a large gash across the Commander's chest.

Stumbling backwards with a ferocious snarl, Yamamoto forced himself to stop, and then lunged forward, stabbing his blade into Shiro's side. "Never!" He coughed. "I will never submit while breath remains in my lungs!"

"God... fucking... damn it." Shiro grabbed hold of the blade impaling him to keep his opponent from recovering it, and then smashed his head forward in a brutal headbutt, knocking Yamamoto away. However, the old man refused to go down, even then, and lashed out with a powerful kick as he fell back, knocking Shiro's Zanpakutō out of his grip and skidding away into the smoke. "Fuck you old man. You don't realize when you're beaten."

With a grunt of effort, Shiro ripped Ryujin Jakka out of his side and threw it in the opposite direction of his own blade. The two stood for a moment, shoulders hunched in exhaustion, eyes flicking from each other, to their weapons. Then at the same moment, they both lunged forward, fists raised, and a roar on their lips.

Just as the warriors came within reach of each other, a flash of light lit up the area, momentarily blinding everyone. Both Yamamoto and Shiro's fists suddenly collided with something seemingly impossibly solid. As his vision returned, Shiro's eyes widened in shocked surprise at what had stopped him, in between him and an equally shocked looking Yamamoto, was a large field of golden yellow energy.

"That's enough. All of you." A frail, but firm voice sounded out of the smoke. Inoue Orihime stepped uneasily into view, still dressed in the kimono she had been in when Tatsuki had brought her to Las Noches. Beside her, stood a nervous looking Tatsuki, once more in her sealed form, and her chest and stomach covered in bandages. "I won't allow any more death!"

* * *

 **And after far too long, with far too little writing getting done. We're back. (Sort of). At this point, I've pretty much just given up on keeping any kind of an actual schedule with these fanfics, mostly because it's insulting to all of you who I let down when I inevitably miss my quota or something. I'm still writing, but it's just never going to be as awesomely on time as it used to be.**

 **ANYWAYS! Bit of a short chapter this time. I was feeling unhappy with some of the corners I had written myself into in the last couple of chapters, so I decided to see if I can kinda wrap this particular story arc up soonish.**

 **And for those of you who continuously pleaded, I have heard your cries. And as I am a kind and benevolent deity, (albeit one who procrastinates like no one's business.) Lo and behold, Inoue Orihime makes her return!**

 **And yes, I do in fact intend to explain what just happened there next chapter. SO FEAR NOT!**

 **Couple of little translations:**

 ** _Zanka no Tachi Minami: Kaka Jūmanokushi Daisōjin_ : translates to: _Longsword of the Remnant Flame, South: Great Burial Ranks of the Ten Trillion Fire Dead_. This is one of Yamamoto Shigekuni Genryusai's most broken abilities (in my opinion), revealed during his fight with the false Ywatch, it resurrects every single foe that Yamamoto has ever killed with Ryujin Jakka and forces them to fight under his command.**

 _ **Mugen no Yoru**_ **: translates to _Endless Night_. **

**So anywhos... let me know what you all think of this chapter. Hope it's positive thoughts, but I will accept any and all criticism as well. (Helps me grow it does.)**

 **See ya'll next time.**


	14. Chapter 14

It was quiet. That was the first thing that she noticed. For what had felt like an eternity, there had been voices. Begging, crying, angry, and everything in between. But now... Silence... _I wonder where everyone is?_

Then her memories began to play behind her closed eyes once again. The man she loved, dead, a hole the size of her head through his chest. One of her best friends, close to death, his arm hanging useless from injury. The demon who had made her life hell since she had met it standing over them all, preparing to kill them. And then... the impossible, terrible miracle.

 _Kurosaki-kun... you came back... but you didn't._ He had risen, the hole still in his chest, his inner Hollow now fully realized and unleashed. It was great and terrible to behold. A beast that seemed to think only of Ulquiorra's destruction. Then it spoke. And she learned that the man she had loved was gone forever. Destroyed by the winged beast who had killed him, and replaced by this... thing.

 _And it's my fault. I know that now._ She had begged him to save them. Refused to believe that he was dead. And a part of him must have heard her, and clawed its way back to life in order to save her. She had created that thing. _And this darkness around me is my punishment._

For an eternity she floated through the darkness, oddly blissful in it's silence. The dark oblivion a welcome change from the horror of reality. Slowly however, she became aware of something new. There was someone who now sat beside her for what must have been hours at a time, alone, speaking quietly to her. She couldn't understand what they said, but she knew that she wanted to.

With a conscious effort, she willed herself towards that voice. There was another voice that appeared sometimes as well, one that was familiar and warming. _I need to know..._ She realized, _I need to know what they are saying._

During another stretch of silence, she made one final effort, and pushed herself once again into the light.

And in the depths of Las Noches, Inoue Orihime's eyes opened.

* * *

It was quiet. That was once again her first observation. But this was a different silence, there was a hint of wind to this. As her eyes once again adjusted to reality, she cast out her senses, trying to discern just where she was.

After a few moments, she felt her breath catch in her throat. _I'm still in Las Noches!_ Horror rose in her chest like a massive serpent. Finally daring to look around with her eyes, she found herself in a massive bed, covered by luxurious silk-like covers. The room in which she found herself could probably have fit her apartment on earth with ease. Slowly, she pushed herself up, moving to the edge of the bed. As she moved, she realized she was dressed in a Shinigami's kimono and hakama. _Strange. Why would the Arrancar dress me like this?_

She made her way through the room in which she found herself, investigating. It was considerably larger than her prison had been previously, and it connected to another, equally massive room. The second room also contained a massive bed, one that looked as though it had been used recently. A door, which she assumed led to more rooms. A wide assortment of furniture including a table, several chairs and other little things. And a massive balcony where the wall opposite the bed should have been.

Inoue stepped out onto the balcony, finding herself in the blue skied interior of Las Noches' dome, it's seemingly endless sands stretching out around her. _They put me in one of these towers this time? How strange..._

As she stood looking around the desert, the telltale sound of a Garganta ripping reality open erupted behind her, causing her to whirl around, bringing her hands up to her Soten Kisshun hair pins, ready to strike should she need to.

"God damn that fucking Shinigami!" A voice sounded from the Garganta as three figures stepped out of it beside the bed within the room. "Giri, put him on the bed. We'll get him to the infirmary once we've got the Palace staff properly mobilized." The figure speaking directed another who was dressed in a maid's uniform and carried the limp form of Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez over her shoulder. "Then I need to figure out... just..." The speaker trailed off, her eyes locking onto the human woman standing on the balcony, "O-Ori...hime...?"

Orihime felt her eyes widen in both horror and shock as she realized that she knew the speaker. "Tatsuki-chan...?" Her arms fell limply to her side as her friend's appearance became fully clear.

Behind Tatsuki, the maid seemed tense, gaze flicking between her mistress and the human who had been unresponsive for months. On the bed, Grimmjow groaned as he slowly stirred.

"Tatsuki-chan... y-you...you're a..."

Tatsuki blinked in surprise, before seeming to remember how to move. Stepping forward slowly, she sealed away her Ressurecion, becoming the young woman who Inoue had been friends with for so long once again. "Yeah..." She said, scratching the back of her head sheepishly, "It's been a weird couple of months since you up and vanished on me." She smiled then, "But it's ok! I'm not some monster or something. It's still me."

"How? How did this happen?"

"Well... it's because of Shiro-sama. He-"

"Shiro? You mean Kurosaki-kun?!" Orihime's voice seemed to break, "He... he did this to you...?"

By this point, Tatsuki was close enough that she reached out and took Orihime in a large, powerful hug. "Oh gods I've missed you Orihime!" She sobbed into the young human's shoulder, tears forming in her eyes, "You have no idea how scared I was when you disappeared. Then when I found you again... you.. you were... broken, it looked like."

As her friend spoke, Orihime felt her own eyes begin to tear up, slowly her arms lifted up and she embraced her oldest friend as well. For a few minutes, the two did nothing, they just stood there, embracing each other and crying silently, each finding a comfort in the other's presence that they hadn't realized they had been missing.

From her spot near the bed, Giri watched on in surprised silence, uncomfortable and unsure whether she should do something.

After another minute, Orihime broke their embrace. "Where is Ichigo?" She asked with a suddenly serious tone. "I cannot believe that he would do this to one of his friends."

"Orihime, I'm alright." Tatsuki said, smiling, "I'm stronger, faster, and healthier than I ever could have been as a human. Shiro's given me one of the most incredible gifts in the world by making me into an Arrancar, and I wouldn't trade it for anything."

"Tatsuki-chan." Inoue's eyes flashed with a force and strength that Tatsuki had never seen. "Where is he?"

For a few moments, Tatsuki was quietly stunned by her friend's apparent anger, then finally she sighed. "We're at war with Soul Society. He's still there, fighting with some freakishly strong old man."

" _What?!_ " Orihime pushed Tatsuki back, horror filling her features. "No... no..." Suddenly, her eyes locked onto Tatsuki, fixing her with a force that the Espada had not expected. "Take me to him. Now."

Something in Orihime's eyes warned Tatsuki that arguing with her would be pointless. "Fine." She turned back to her Fraccion, "Giri, get the medical teams ready, and get Grimmjow into the infirmary as quickly as you can. Then be ready for my orders."

Giri curtsied low, "Yes mistress." She said before vanishing away.

"Follow me." Tatsuki said as she opened a new Garganta, and offered Orihime her hand.

* * *

"I won't allow any more death!" Inoue shouted, feeling the shocked stares of everyone present.

In front of her, the man who had once been Kurosaki Ichigo gazed at her, his eyes unreadable, and slowly lowered his fists. "So you're awake..." His voice sent shivers down her spine, but she refused to back down. "Why did you bring her here, Tatsuki?"

Behind her, Tatsuki seemed to jump at his question. "Well... I..."

"I asked her to, Kurosaki-kun." Inoue shocked herself by how strong her voice seemed, even before the terror that the Arrancar in front of her exhuded. "I won't allow you to kill anymore of my friends."

Shiro stood, shoulders slumped, clearly exhausted from his battles, "'Friends'?" He chuckled coldly. "Is that what they are...?"

Inoue nodded firmly, her eyes fierce. However in her mind, she wondered silently what the Arrancar meant with his words. "Yes."

For what felt like an eternity, Shiro simply stared at her silently. Then finally, he straightened himself, inhaling deeply. "Fine." He said, "As a present to celebrate your waking up, I'll spare the rest of Soul Society. For now." With that he turned away from Yamamoto and began to limp towards his Espada. "Consider yourselves lucky, Shinigami," He said over his shoulder as he reached his subordinates, "You now owe Inoue Orihime your lives."

Yamamoto coughed violently, only now standing because of Captain Unohana holding him up, "You think I'm just going to let you escape!?"

Across from the Shinigami, Baraggan scoffed incredulously, "Shiro-sama! We are on the verge of annihilating them forever! And you wish to simply abandon the field?"

"Enough." Said Nel, having retrieved Shiro's blade and now standing beside him. "Shiro-sama has given the order, we will obey it."

"We'll discuss this later Baraggan." Shiro said, sheathing his sword, "For now, find any of our ranks who've survived, and get them out of here. Starrk, you're covering our retreat." He turned to consider Orihime for a moment, "Ulquiorra, Tatsuki, please escort Orihime back to Las Noches."

"Hold it Shiro!" Yamamoto struggled to once again move to attack his foe. "I will not allow you to have Inoue Orihime!"

Shiro's glare shifted to Yamamoto, "I don't remember asking your permission old man." He snarled, "The only reason you are still alive is because of her. So have some dignity, and go and lick your wounds like a good dog. I promise that I'll kill you properly next time."

As Inoue glanced nervously between the two arguing leaders, a hand closed on her shoulder, "Come on Orihime," Tatsuki said with a small smile, "Let's get you out of here." Behind them, Ulquiorra opened a Garganta and gestured for the two women to enter.

"Inoue Orihime," The voice of Unohana reached them, "If you go with them like this, Soul Society will have to consider you a threat." Her eyes were cold and angry as she spoke. "You understand what that means don't you?"

Orihime looked as though she were about to cry, "I just wanted everyone to stop fighting..." She said quietly, "Why did the world have to get so broken...?" Squaring her shoulders, she locked eyes with the angry Captain, "I'm sorry miss Unohana-san. I really wish that I could make everything like it was, but this is the only way that I can stop anyone else from dying." She bowed low, "I hope that you'll understand."

With that, the Garganta closed around her, and the young woman was gone once again. Yamamoto let out a deep sigh, collapsing to his knees, "I never expected that boy to become so powerful..." He wheezed as Unohana began to see to his many wounds. After a few minutes, he looked up at her, "How many did we lose?"

"We don't know yet sir." Unohana said quietly. "I have my squad running recovery efforts all across the Seireitei as we speak, but initial estimates put us at well below fifty percent of the strength we had even this morning."

"Then we have completely lost this battle." The Commander sighed with a note of resignation in his voice. "At least half of his Espada are still alive. And I suspect that you and I are the only two here in Seireitei that can defeat at least three of them." Unohana's expression darkened, "Enough with healing me. I'll survive for now." He said, "Go and see to the rescue and recovery operations. I want a full report by tomorrow morning."

Unohana nodded and vanished. After several moments, Yamamoto sighed once more. "I know you're there."

"Shame, I had hoped that I wouldn't be noticed." Shiro said, appearing beside the old man. "You're an observant old bastard." The Hollow King still bled from his many wounds, but he seemed to have already recovered enough strength to move with ease once more.

"Here to try and finish me off?"

"Don't flatter yourself old man. I don't actually give two shits about you, besides, I've given my word that I won't kill anymore Shinigami today."

"Then why are you still here?" The old man asked, looking up at the Arrancar.

"Couple of reasons actually." Shiro sat down cross-legged in the dust of the crater, "First off, I wanted to let you know that I'm genuinely impressed with how strong you are. I actually didn't think that there was anyone that would be able to fight me on equal footing." Yamamoto snorted in soft laughter. "Second; While I am more than happy to annihilate Soul Society, I do still have Kurosaki Ichigo's memories. So I know what that would do to all of the worlds, my own included."

Yamamoto's eyebrow rose in curiosity, "What do you intend to do then?"

"I will allow you to live. Do not attempt any future hostility against Hueco Mundo, and do not interfere in my affairs, and I will leave Soul Society in peace." Shiro locked eyes with the ancient Shinigami, "I am not asking. I'm telling."

"Hmph..." Yamamoto scoffed, "Not much of a negotiat-"

His voice died away, and his eyes widened in shock, as the glinting point of a sword appeared from the center of his chest. Behind him, a figure covered in a reiatsu-hiding cloak had appeared, and gazed down at the two leaders, sword in hand.

"Shit!" Shiro swore, rolling backwards and coming up, sword drawn. The figure stood, pulling it's sword from Yamamoto's back, "You..." Shiro felt his anger begin to rise as he recognized the face beneath the hood, but before he could say any more, the man vanished.

Yamamoto slumped forward, blood spilling from his mouth. Shiro seemed genuinely stunned by the sudden event, "Fuck..." The Arrancar said, finally moving over to the Commander, "You'd better not let this kill you old man," He carefully moved the old man to lie down, using the Shinigami's kimono as a makeshift bandage. "I'll be fucking pissed if I don't get to kill you myself."

Standing up, he looked around. They were alone, but that was unlikely to remain the case, "Unohana will definitely notice that your reiatsu is suddenly failing... Bet you that she'll blame me for this..." With an angry sigh, Shiro flickered away from the scene, reappearing on a rooftop in an area that he sensed no Shinigami. He then cast out his senses, searching the Seireitei. "No way am I leaving them here now..."

As he searched, Shiro noted with some interest his level of concern. _I must truly still feel for them..._ He marveled silently, _Even if i hate him for lying all my life... I guess Kurosaki's love for his sisters really was strong enough to survive my birth._

"Hmm... No Karin..." He noted with a hint of worry. "Shit. We'll deal with that later. We're on a clock here."

With that, he vanished once more, reappearing above the now silent Shiba mansion. Not sensing Isshin anywhere nearby, Shiro slowly lowered himself into the courtyard. _If Unohana and the rest of the Shinigami do end up blaming me for what just happened, then it's eventually going to come around to aiming blame at Ichigo's family, since most of them probably still see me as Ichigo..._ He thought quietly as he quietly made his way into the house.

After a few minutes of searching, the Hollow King found his objective, and stood over the sleeping form of Kurosaki Yuzu. "I won't allow that sort of backlash to reach you..." He murmured quietly, kneeling down and gently lifting the young girl, hoping not to disturb her sleep. "Isshin is useless, he won't be able to protect you. Not like I can."

In his arms, Yuzu stirred slightly, causing him to stiffen. "Ichi-nii..." She mumbled in her sleep, unconsciously taking hold of his shirt, a small smile on her face.

With a smile, Shiro turned, and willed a Garganta open. "I'm here Yuzu..." He said softly as the gate closed around them, leaving the Shiba Mansion empty and deserted.

* * *

Baraggan paced angrily across the Throne room. "Where the hell is he?!" The Tres Espada roared incredulously, the others gathered in the throne room simply shrugged. "For our King to vanish at a time like this... Unacceptable! Neliel, weren't you supposed to be watching him!?"

"Enough Baraggan..." The elevator to Shiro's personal chambers slid open, revealing the Hollow King, wearing a clean change of clothes. "I could hear you from the top of the tower." Looking around the room as he sat down at his throne, he sighed, "I take it that you all are unsatisfied with my decision to end our attack?"

Starrk simply shrugged, once more seeming lackadaisical as ever. Ulquiorra said nothing, and Nel shook her head. Hallibel spoke up, "I am not unsatisfied Shiro-sama... merely confused. I believe that only Baraggan is angry about the decision."

"You're damn right I am!" Baraggan roared, "My king, we still had easily half of our fighting power, your Cero through to your Tres Espada were practically unharmed! We could have annihilated the entirety of the Soul Society! Why did you order our retreat!?"

"Baraggan, do you recall what I told you and the others the day I proposed the invasion?"

Baraggan paused, thinking back to what felt like an eternity ago, but had in fact been little more a week. "Of course, y-"

"I said that we were going to _cripple_ the Soul Society." Shiro interrupted him, an edge to his voice that caused even the proud Espada to go silent. "Cripple. Not destroy." He looked around the vast chamber, "I do not expect you all to understand immediately but, unfortunately, the continued existence of Soul Society is a necessary evil. At least until I can figure out a way to remove that necessity."

Baraggan scoffed incredulously once again, but said nothing. Nel and Hallibel both bowed in acceptance of Shiro's words, and Ulquiorra simply stood, eyes unreadable once more. Starrk nodded a few times before yawning, "Ok, so we've crippled them. Now what?"

Shiro sat back in his throne, steepleing his fingers, "Now we turn our gaze inwards. Hueco Mundo is a desolate wasteland, with Las Noches as it's only real form of civility. I want to change that, I want to give Hollows a civilization beyond the brutality of what it is now." The others blinked in surprise, clearly having not expected that. "However..." Shiro sighed tiredly, "Our progress is going to be hindered by a few things."

"And what are those?" Ulquiorra asked, speaking for the first time.

"Firstly is Soul Society itself..." Shiro lowered a hand to the arm of his throne and almost unconsciously began to crush the stone beneath his fingers. "We have a small problem with them. Baraggan, you asked where I had gone after I gave the order to retreat," Baraggan nodded, "I stayed in Soul Society for a little bit. In fact, I sat down and had a chat with their Commander."

His revelation caused several small gasps, "You WHAT?!" Baraggan snarled.

"I offered him a temporary cease fire." He explained, "Told him to stay out of our way, and we would allow their continued existence. Unfortunately, that is where our second obstacle entered the equation." The arm of his throne exploded in a shower of dust and rubble as his hand fully crushed it in anger. "Kaname Tousen is still alive."

"Tousen? How?" Hallibel asked, suddenly on edge.

"I don't know. But he appeared behind Yamamoto and stabbed him." The others blinked in surprise, "And I will bet you anything that the idiots in Soul Society will somehow trace the old man's wound back to me. They'll think that I tried to assassinate their commander after ordering a secession of hostilities. Which means that they'll come after me with all the righteous fury that they're capable of."

"If Tousen is alive... do you think that means..." Starrk felt the color drain from his face.

"I'm loath to admit it." Shiro snarled, "But Aizen is probably as well."

* * *

Gin lead the way through the forest, picking his way carefully so that his new companion could keep up easily enough. "Not much farther now lil' missy." He called over his shoulder with his usual smile.

Karin let out a small sigh, starting to feel the exhaustion of her flight from the Seireitei at last. "You really live out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"It's not the easiest to get groceries or such I admit," He chuckled, "But it keeps away those pesky neighbors. Not to mention that Soul Society and my roommates didn't exactly part on the best of terms last time we saw them. So this let's us stay out of their way."

"Roommates?" Karin blinked, unused to people in Soul Society using such a modern saying.

"Ah... here's one now." Gin grinned as he flickered out of view, reappearing beside Karin with wakazashi drawn and blocking the blade of a sword that suddenly stabbed in towards her.

Karin fell backwards with a startled scream as the two blades clashed. Looking up, she found herself looking at a dark skinned man wearing a visor over his eyes, dressed in a long flowing cloak and a strange white outfit beneath it.

"Why did you stop me Gin?" The newcomer asked, his voice a strange almost monotone, "You know that outsiders are not allowed here."

"Easy there grumpy." Gin said, his smile suddenly turning viciously sadistic, "This here is one Kurosaki Karin. You get what I'm saying now?"

The newcomer seemed to stiffen at the mention of her name. Slowly he lowered his blade, "I suppose I should apologize for startling you, Kurosaki Karin." He said, sheathing the weapon and offering her a small bow of greeting, "I am Kaname Tousen." He offered her a hand to help her back up.

Karin blinked in surprise at the man's sudden shift in demeaner. "Uhhh... no problem?" She said tentatively, accepting the man's hand.

"Tousen here's always been a bit of a stickler for rules and such," Gin said chuckling and patting Tousen on the back jovially, "But he's a good sort."

"I...see." Said Karin, still very much confused. "Is my name really that influential around here?"

"No." Tousen replied bluntly, turning to make his way into the woods, "But our leader will be very interested in speaking with you."

"Huh..." Karin shook her head confusedly, glancing over to Gin curiously. The platinum haired man simply grinned and gestured for her to follow after Tousen, and quickly fell into step behind her.

Several minutes later, the three of them found themselves at the entrance of a small cave. Stepping inside, Karin was shocked to find the interior was actually more reminiscent of a house than a natural rock formation.

"Ahh, home sweet home." Gin said with a happy sigh, "Hey boss! We brought home a friend. Hope you don' mind.~" He chuckled as he threw open a door at the far end of the main room.

"I can sense that Gin..." A quiet voice floated to Karin from the door, "You had better have a very good reason for this."

"Oh don't be like that." Gin teased, "Just wait till you meet her, eh?"

Karin made her way across the room and peeked into the doorway. What her eyes fell on almost made her scream in horror. "Do not be afraid child..." Said the man lying on the large bed within the small room, "I have no way of harming you."

Karin felt her eyes continue to widen as the details of the figure became clear. Whoever it was, he was covered in bandages, only about half of his face actually visable. However what shocked her was the man's limbs. One of his arms was missing at the elbow, while his other seemed to have been cut in half length wise, leaving him with only his thumb, index, and middle finger on the hand. She couldn't tell from where she stood, but she had a disturbing feeling that his legs had been similarly torn to shreds.

"If you continue staring like that girl, I may start to take offense." The man's voice was raspy and strained, but his single eye glimmered in the shade.

But his words were enough to startle her out of her shock. "s-sorry..." Karin bowed in apology. "I've never seen anyone so hurt before. It just caught me by surprise is all."

"Oh? You've seen many injured people have you?"

"Well my family used to run a clinic until not too long ago." She explained, "We didn't get the really bad cases, cause my idiot of a dad didn't have the equipment to handle them, but I saw some people come in really bad off."

The man on the bed narrowed his eye, "Would you step forward please?" He asked, "I cannot see all that well anymore." Karin nodded and took a few steps forward. "You..." The man's eye seemed to widen without moving, something that Karin found very strange. "What is your name girl? I sense something familiar about you..."

"My name's Kurosaki Karin. Gin and Tousen said you'd be 'interested in meeting me' for some reason."

"Kurosaki..." The man's eye seemed to harden in pure hatred, and Karin felt a sudden weight in the air pressing against her from all directions. "You are the sibling of Kurosaki...?"

Karin's eyes widened in fear, as she suddenly realized that she couldn't breathe. Her breath caught in her chest and the pressure that she felt seemed to only increase, making it even harder. Then, just as suddenly as it had begun, the terrifying experience abruptly ended.

"Now now Captain," Gin smiled widely as he placed himself between Karin and the man on the bed, blocking the reiatsu from reaching her. "You'll only make your condition worse if you exert yourself like that."

As if to prove the point, the man began to cough violently, several of his bandages turning red within moments as wounds beneath them opened. Tousen seemed to materialize out of thin air at the man's side, placing a restraining hand on his shoulder to keep him from moving too much until the coughing subsided.

"D-damnit..." The injured man swore, a thin line of blood falling from the corner of his mouth. "You see this, Kurosaki...? This is what you have reduced me too..."

Karin felt her own anger rise, "I did NOTHING to you!"

"Not you..." The man interrupted her. Tousen had begun removing portions of his bandages, a box of fresh ones beside him. "Your brother, Kurosaki Ichigo did this to me," Karin's eyes widened in shock. "This body of mine, once one of the most powerful men in creation, was reduced to this... broken husk, at the hands of Kurosaki Ichigo."

Karin backed away slowly, shaking her head. "N-no way... My brother wouldn't... he wouldn't do this... This is..." Her words caught in her throat as she remembered the creature that now wore her brother's face. "He... wouldn't..." Her mind recalled the confrontation between Ichi-nii and her father.

 _"I won't have my sister watch me tear my own father's head off."_

"He..." Karin's eyes rolled back, as the horrors fully caught up with her. She was unconscious before her body even fell.

"Woah there." Gin caught the young girl before she hit the ground. "Poor kid, guess she's all tuckered out from such an exciting day."

"Gin... why did you bring her here?"

"Seemed like a decent idea at the time." Gin shrugged, his customary grin spread across his lips, "Still may end up being one too." He rose, Karin in his arms and left the room.

"Kaname..." Aizen turned his gaze on his blind subordinate, "Keep them under observation. I don't trust Gin."

Tousen continued wrapping him in fresh bandages, "Of course Aizen-sama."

* * *

Kurosaki Yuzu groaned lightly as she slowly returned to consciousness. Her head hurt, but otherwise she felt remarkably comfortable. After a few moments, her eyes bolted open and she threw herself up and forward with a shriek. "Karin!"

Silence was all that answered the girl. She slowly registered that she was somewhere... else. Gone was the traditional Japanese style home her family had been living in, gone was the sound of birds chirping, gone was the blue sky outside of her window. In their place were white walls of some kind of marble-like stone, the quiet whistling of a soft, empty wind, and a massive balcony that opened out to a starless, pitch black sky.

Looking around, Yuzu found herself in an enormous four poster bed, like something out of a fantasy story. Silken white sheets gave the bed itself a luxurious comfort, while white, semi-translucent drapes hung from the posts, obscuring the room around her just enough to add an extra air of mystery.

"Where... am I?" She asked quietly, manuvering herself to the closest edge of the bed. Vaguely she noticed as she moved, that she was still dressed in the same clothes that she had before she had collapsed. "What happened to Karin...? And to Papa? I remember feeling scared... hearing screams of monsters all around me... then..."

Slowly, she began to explore her new environment. It was an apartment, she decided after a while. There was no other way to properly describe it, however this was an apartment that seemed to either have been made for giants, or a king. She couldn't rationalize any other reason to build it so massive. Finally, her exploration led her out onto the balcony, and she felt her heart momentarily stop at the sight.

A white desert stretched endlessly out into the distance. Above it, a pearlescent white crescent moon shone impossibly bright in an otherwise pitch black sky. Looking down, Yuzu realized that she was at the top of an enormously tall tower, the base of which connected to a wide circular structure that stretched for what seemed like miles in every direction.

As she took in the incredible, impossible sight, Yuzu realized that she could... feel... something. She wasn't entirely sure how she could describe it, even to herself. It was almost like she could feel heartbeats from down below, however she knew that was the wrong word for it. Standing there, gazing out into the endless night, Yuzu realized that a small group of... whatever it was that she was sensing, seemed to be approaching her from below and within the tower.

Panicing, she threw herself into hiding behind a large, plush couch, peeking out from behind it, unsure of what to expect.

"-And I expect that you keep this all in the strictest confidence." A deep, terrifying voice said as the wall seemed to slide open, revealing a small group of strange looking people and a small elevator. The lead figure stepped into the room, and something about him caused Yuzu to retract in fear even before she could get a good look at him. "You three are honestly the only ones that I trust with this at the moment. So I honestly need your advice and help."

"Of course Shiro-sama." A bubbly feminine voice said, the speaker moving into the apartment and towards the room where Yuzu had awoken. "Huh...?" She said after a few moments, "Shiro-sama, didn't you say that there was someone here?"

"Of course I-" The first voice broke off, Yuzu felt herself stop breathing for fear that the speaker could somehow find her. "She must have woken up..." The voice sounded... concerned, which confused Yuzu even more given how terrifying it was. "She's probably scared and confused, but she can't be far."

Yuzu felt her heart skip a beat, and turned to creep away to a better hiding place. However as she turned, she found herself looking into a bright pair of brown eyes. "Hey there kid," a woman said with a soft smile, "How ya' feelin'?"

A shriek of fear and surprise drew Shiro's attention towards the balcony as Yuzu leaped backwards from behind a couch, Tatsuki rising as well apologizing. With a small smile, he flickered across the room, appearing behind his little sister, and stopping her from falling over the edge. The young girl froze as she bumped into him, terror clear across her features. With a small effort, Shiro focused his reiatsu away from the girl, and after a few seconds the color seemed to return to her face.

"Sorry about that Yuzu-chan." Tatsuki was saying, still smiling, "I shoudn't have snuck up on you like that."

Yuzu blinked, her mind now somewhat clear of the terror that had gripped her, she realized that she recognized the young woman in front of her. "Arisawa-san?" Tatsuki nodded, still smiling, "What are you doing here? What's going on? Where are we? Wha-"

She was silenced by Tatsuki's finger, as she was shushed. "That's an awful lot of questions," Tatsuki chuckled, "How about I let him answer eh?" She jestured over Yuzu's shoulder.

Turning to look, Yuzu saw a man standing out on the balcony, gazing out over the desert. The first thing that she noticed, was his hair. She felt her eyes widen at the sight of that shockingly bright orange hair. After a few moments, the man turned, his mouth turned up in a smile, "Hey Yuzu."

Yuzu ran forward, throwing herself into the arms of her brother. "Ichi-nii!" She felt her tears already cascading down her cheaks. "Papa said that you died! He'll be so happy! Oh and Karin will feel so much better. And-"

"Yuzu..." Ichigo cut her off, his smile turning sad even as he hugged her tightly. "We need to talk..."

* * *

 **And here we go, another chapter finally done! I had most of this chapter finished a few weeks ago to be honest, but with the new job I just started, and trying to figure out how to end it, well...**

 **Anyways, here's hoping that you like it. I'm planning to wind this story down to a stopping point soonish(tm). It probably won't tie up all of the loose threads, (that's what sequels are for :P) but I hope that it will at least be satisfying enough for everyone. Still, no need to worry too much, this 'ending' is still at least a few chapters away.**

 **So, as always, let me know what you think in the reviews, if you have criticisms, don't be shy and hit me with them. And as always, see you all next time.**


	15. Chapter 15

Two hours. That was all it had taken to have her questioning everything she had thought she knew. Kurosaki Yuzu sat at a simple table set up on the large balcony overlooking the deserts of Hueco Mundo, her head spinning from everything her brother had told her. _My brother..._ She felt her eyes track up to his face, once so warm and gentle, now harsh and terrifying, _Even after everything he's told me... I still can't think of him as anything other than my brother... Despite what he and dad say._

Shiro sat looking out over the desert, giving Yuzu some time to process everything. He had told her everything. The hollow attack that had given Ichigo his shinigami powers, the adventures with Rukia, the quest to save her from Soul Society, and finally the disastrous battles with the Arrancar which had eventually resulted in the King of Hueco Mundo. _It's a risk, telling her everything._ He thought to himself, _If she's anything like Isshin, she'll reject what I am. But this is something I have to do..._ He couldn't explain why that was, but something within him had been pushing him to make certain decisions recently, that had confused both himself and those around him. _It's really starting to annoy me._ He raged silently to himself, not letting his thoughts show on his face. _If this keeps up, Barragan is going to become a problem. He only respects strength, and many of these decisions that I've made either result in nothing gained, or they actively weaken my position..._

"Umm..." Yuzu's voice pulled Shiro out of his thoughts, turning his gaze towards her, he tried to smile, "Thank you for telling me all of this." She said, clearly attempting to not let her voice tremble.

"I would understand if you choose to hate me." Shiro said, rising and moving to the railing. "It's a lot to take in. Even more when the one telling you is the undead form of your dead brother."

"No." Her reply surprised him, "Even after everything you've told me, I still can only see you as my older brother." Shiro turned back to gaze at her wide eyed, "It will take a while for me to... understand some of your actions. But you're still Ichigo, I can feel it."

Shiro considered her for several minutes silently. Finally he let out a small sigh and made his way into the apartment. "I suppose only time will say for sure if you're correct." He gestured around the massive living space, "You'll stay here for now. Please, for your own sake, do not leave these quarters. Las Noches is not a safe place, especially for a human." Yuzu nodded, following him as he showed her around the rooms that would be her home for the foreseeable future, "Neliell and Tatsuki will help if you need anything and I am unavailable. Ulquiorra may also be able to, but he's fairly busy most of the time."

Again Yuzu nodded, still feeling as though her head was reeling. "What about Karin?" She finally asked, causing Shiro to freeze as though he'd been struck.

"I tried to find her..." He said, shaking his head, "But she fled Siereitei during the battle. I couldn't find her afterwards. And getting you out was my priority."

"I see..." Yuzu felt a pit form in her stomach, worry for her sister now plaguing her thoughts.

"Hey..." Shiro placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, his gaze suddenly soft, "She's a tough kid. Tougher than Ichigo ever was." He noticed the flicker of disappointment that crossed Yuzu's face as he refused to call himself and Ichigo the same person, "She'll be alright." The young girl said nothing, but still nodded. Sighing once more, Shiro tightened his grip for just a second, before saying, "I have some things to deal with now. I'll come back to visit when I can."

Yuzu nodded, turning away from him and making her way back to the balcony and gazing out into the desert. The soft pneumatic hiss of the elevator door signaled to her that she was alone.

* * *

Unohana Retsu sat beside the comatose body of her oldest friend, still trying to come to terms with the rage that she felt gripping her chest. The damage of the Hollow King's attack was still being fully calculated, but from the reports that she had read, the Gotei 13 had been utterly crippled.

Yamamoto was in a coma after having been attacked from behind while still weakened from his fight with Shiro. Unohana had no proof, but fully believed that the Arrancar had been the one to cowardly strike down the greatest Shinigami in history. In the searches of the ruins of the Seireitei, they had found a body that was suspected to be that of captain Kyoraku Shunsui, however given that it had been disintegrated from the torso up, it was impossible to properly identify.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri was missing, and presumed to be dead, Hitsugaya Toshiro had vanished without a trace, Zaraki Kenpachi was on the verge of death. On top of all of that, the Vizards who had been staying in Soul Society had lost several of their strongest fighters during the invasion as well.

If there was any silver lining, it was that Ukitake Jūshirō had been found alive. He was grieviously injured, and had been hurled to the opposite end of Seireitei, but he was expected to make a full recovery.

Unohana sighed, feeling much of her strength leave her. "Dammit... Genryusai why did this happen? What went wrong?" Silence was the only answer that the acting Commander of the Gotei 13 received. Rising from her seat, she gently wiped a clean, damp cloth across Yamamoto's forehead, keeping him cool. After a while, she rose and turned to leave the room. "Inform me immediately if anything changes in his condition." She said to an attendant on her way past.

Travelling through the Squad Four barracks, Unohana felt her thoughts begin to darken once more as they once again turned to the Hollow King Shiro. She felt a certain eagerness come over her as she considered how she planned to butcher him when next she saw him. Shinigami that she passed in the halls all shivered in fear at the expression on their normally gentle captain's face. Suddenly, there was a stomping of feat as someone ran full tilt through the Barracks.

"Captain!" A Shinigami skidded to a halt behind her, breathing hard from their run to find her. "Captain, the recovery teams have located Captain Komamura! He's alive!"

Unohana whirled around, all thoughts of Shiro banished from her mind instantly as the healer in her took over. "Is it safe to move him?"

"No ma'am." The squad member replied. "We're honestly not even sure how he's alive."

"I'm on my way. Keep him as stable as possible until I arrive."

Several hurried minutes later, Unohana found herself staring in wide eyed shock at the condition of her fellow Captain. "Sajin..."

Komomura Sajin lay on his back, a hole almost a full foot in diameter blown through his chest. Yet in spite of that, his eyes cracked open at her words, "Captain Unohana..." He wheezed in pain. "Is... Is Soul Society...?"

Unohana could only shake her head in wonder. "Worry less about Soul Society for a little bit and more about yourself my young friend." She knelt down beside the large fox-like man, taking over for the Shinigami who had been keeping him stable. "Look at yourself Sajin... You have a hole through you bigger than my head. How are you even alive? Nevermind speaking."

Komamura's mouth crept up, into a ghost of a smile. "Obviously... it's because I still have so much work to do..." His breathing was ragged, and blood was beginning to dribble out of his mouth.

"Hush Sajin." Unohana said calmly, wiping away the blood with her haori sleeve. "There will be plenty of time for work after you recover..." She looked him over once more, feeling the intensity of his injuries just from the sight of them, and struggling to maintain the calm, soothing voice she was using. I don't think that I can heal this... She thought quietly frowning. Damn you Shiro.

"Acting Commander Unohana-dono..." A voice pulled the healer's attention away from Komamura's wounds, up to a slim, dark haired woman who had approached.

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi," She said, once more suppressing her anger at the Arrancar. "What is the matter?"

"Aside from Maiyui-sama still being missing, very little to report." The Lieutenant of Squad Twelve said, kneeling down beside Unohana and adding her own reiatsu to the healing efforts. "Of more immediate concern is Captain Komamura's condition. It is unlikely that simple Kido will be able to heal him. However," Her gaze turned to the Acting Commander, "The Department of Development and Reserch may be able to save his life."

Unohana felt her eyes widen in surprise. _Why didn't I think of it...? Captain Kurotsuchi may be a disreputable man, but he is a genius when it comes to pretty much everything._ Finally, she found her voice once more, "Thank you Lieutenant, I leave the Captain in your care."

Nemu nodded once before turning and gesturing to a pair of shinigami garbed in the robes of Squad 12. The men hurried forward and placed a pair of devices down at Komamura's head and feet, a few moments later the devices began to hum and a barrier sprung to life around the massive fox man. As Unohana watched, she realized that his chest had ceased it's small movements.

Suddenly worrying that they had been too late to save him, she turned to the Lieutenant, however Nemu simply held up a hand. "There is nothing to worry about." She said, clearly having expected Unohana's panic, "The barrier around him is a Kido designed to mimic the effects of the Dangai. Within it, time has slowed to a near stop, and there is very little that can breach the barrier itself. With this, we will be able to safely move the Captain to the Squad 12 Barracks."

Feeling her heartbeat begin to calm once more, Unohana nodded, rising from her kneeling position, "Then I leave Captain Komamura in your capable hands. Please don't let us lose another Captain today."

With a curt nod, Nemu gestured for her subordinates to follow as she led the way back towards her squad's base of operations. After dismissing her own subordinates with a wave of her hand, Unohana waited until the 12th Squad members were out of sight, and then collapsed to the ground feeling the exhaustion and emotion of the past ten hours since Shiro had pulled his forces back finally break over her. The usually gentle woman felt her shoulders heave as sobs overtook her, images of the devastation that had been visited upon her home flashing behind her eyes.

"C-captain...?" Unohana's eyes snapped open as she flew from the ground in surprise at the voice, she had to physically stop herself from drawing her sword as she whirled on the speaker. Kotetsu Isane fell backwards in shock from the momentary bloodlust that her captain exhibited, "I-I'm sorry Captain! I didn't mean to startle you!" She cried.

For a moment, Unohana simply blinked, confused by her lieutenant's fear. However she then noticed her hand on the hilt of her Zanpakutō. Straightening, she lowered her hand, taking a deep breath. "You don't need to apologize Isane." She said quietly, lowering her eyes away from her young friend, "I'm sorry for scaring you like that, and for the rather unprofessional state that you found me in. I just... I don't know if we can recover from this..."

She stiffened in surprise as Isane wrapped her arms around her, pulling her into a hug. "We will Captain." The young Lieutenant said calmly after a few moments. Pulling back, she smiled gently up to her Captain, "It's what we do."

Unohana allowed a small smile to reach her lips as she dried her eyes. "You're right." Turning, she began making her way back towards her Squad's barracks, after a few steps, she paused. "Thank you Isane." Isane smiled brightly, "Now come, we have much to do."

* * *

"Why did you bring her here Gin? What game are you playing this time?" Aizen Souske sat in the bed that he was currently bound to, his bandages freshly changed. Gin lounged in a chair set up near the entrance of the room, his usual unreadable grin plastered across his face. "You're up to something, and I want to know what it is."

"My my, Cap'n." Gin chuckled as he leaned backwards, pushing the chair up to stand on only it's two hind legs, "If I didn't know better, I'd say you think I'm gonna betray you."

"Is that really so surprising?"

"Not really, I guess... Still, I'm not plotting anything really. In all honesty, I thought that Ichigo's sister could potentially make for a useful weapon if you temper her correctly." Gin shrugged, rising to stand, "Although... If you want to hear a 'plot', well then here's an idea." Moving to Aizen's side, he leaned forward to whisper to the former Captain, "We both know that you won't ever make a full recovery." As he spoke, Gin's smile turned more and more snake-like, "Shiro did too much damage. It's honestly a testament to your strength and strength of will that you haven't died yet. But even if you somehow manage to pull through and recover, it will never be enough to take revenge against Shiro."

Gin stood back up, moving back towards his seat, feeling Aizen's rage filled gaze on his back. Sitting down, he said with a smile, "So why not use the girl?"

It took several tense seconds for Aizen to recover his composure, when he finally regained control of his anger, he asked, "How would you use her?"

Gin grinned widely, "Give her your power."

If Aizen had been expecting anything, it hadn't been that. He felt his eye widen in surprise of the idea. "You mean entrust my revenge to a child? When it is her own brother who she would have to kill?"

"Since when were you squeamish about pitting family against family?" Gin chuckled, thinking back to the plot that had brought Ichigo into conflict with the Soul Society to begin with. "Besides, it's the fact that she is Ichigo's sister that makes her uniquely suited to defeating him." At Aizen's raised eyebrow he continued, "She has the same blood in her veins as Ichigo. The only thing that we don't know is whether or not ol' Whitey from back then left any of it's power to bond to the souls of Isshin's daughters, or just gave all of it to the first born. In either case, the other children of Shiba Isshin are probably the only ones alive who could potentially match Shiro in the power department. Karin-chan just needs a kickstart, and then if she's anything like her brother, she'll grow like a weed."

Aizen sat in silence for several minutes thinking. A part of him rackled at the thought of using the girl, primarily due to who she was, but the rest of his mind looked at the situation calmly, analyzing every angle and scenario as he had trained himself to do in his youth. Much as he hated to admit it, Gin was right. In every outcome that he brought up, it always ended with him unable to achieve his revenge, the best that he would be able to do with the body that he had now was to continue being a nuisance to the various forces of Soul Society and Hueco Mundo as he simply persisted. He still had his immense spiritual power, but his body couldn't properly utilize or contain it anymore, and the only ones capable of fixing his body were either dead, or hated him from the bottom of their souls. Finally he spoke, "Say I agree to this... What are you planning then?"

"That should be obvious to you shouldn't it?" Gin replied with a shrug.

Aizen let out a sigh, that quickly turned into a hacking cough. "Kaname will not be pleased..."

"Quite frankly, I don't particularly care what Tousen thinks. Honestly, I never really have." Gin said, his expression darkening slightly. "If he tries to get in the way of what needs to be done here, I won't hesitate to kill him."

Aizen's single good eye widened in surprise at Gin's words. However, a few moments later he smiled. "You never were actually loyal to me were you Gin?"

Gin's only reply was a small, serpentine smile as he rose to leave the room. Stopping at the door, he looked back at the fallen shinigami, "I'll let Karin-chan know you have something to talk to her about shall I?" Without waiting for a reply, he left, leaving Aizen alone.

* * *

Inoue Orihime sat at a small table on the balcony of Tatsuki's tower, gazing out over the flowing sands beneath the dome of Las Noches. She let out a small chuckle as she realized just how strange the world had suddenly become, a strangeness that was intensified by the woman dressed as a maid who stood behind her, waiting for her to speak.

Tatsuki-chan has a servant and a palace... She thought, picking up the tea mug that Giri had prepared for her, Kurosaki-kun has become some kind of super Arrancar... Soul Society now views me as an enemy... just how much more strange can this get...? Looking over her shoulder at her friend's Fracion she smiled, "Giri-san, you don't need to wait on me hand and foot like this..."

"Tatsuki-sama left orders to ensure your comfort," Giri said with a small bow, "It is my duty as her Fracion and handmaiden to follow those orders to the letter."

Inoue smiled again, "Please Giri-san... I'd feel much more comfortable if you joined me for this tea that you made. It's quite good." For a few moments, Giri seemed conflicted, finally she nodded, moving around to the other chair set at the table. "Thank you," Inoue said, pouring the Arrancar a cup of tea, "Please, I would like you to tell me about Tatsuki-chan's life here."

Giri seemed surprised by her request, pausing as she lifted her tea to her lips, "I would have thought that you knew her better than I, Orihime-sama. Tatsuki-sama has often spoken of your friendship."

Inoue nodded turning her gaze to the desert, "True, but I haven't seen her in months... and so much has changed since then..."

Giri paused for a few moments, thinking. "Well then, Tatsuki-sama is the Cuarto Espada, as such she is one of the most powerful beings in Las Noches, and in all of Hueco Mundo for that matter." Inoue nodded, taking a sip of her tea, "For the majority of the months that she has been here, Tatsuki-sama has dedicated herself to training. I believe that her powers and abilities were unfamiliar to her when she first arrived. Grimmjow-sama was tasked with training her by Shiro-sama, and they have fought almost every day since her first arrival. Other than that, Tatsuki-sama seems to have begun working on a project at Shiro-sama's request, however I do not know what it is."

"That's because it frankly does not yet concern you." Shiro's deep voice shocked both women as he appeared on the balcony. Giri flew to her feet, and bowed low, her tea forgotten. Shiro barely acknowledged her, merely giving a small hand gesture and saying, "Leave us." His eyes however, were firmly locked on Orihime.

Giri once more bowed low before backing out of the room into the labyrinthine halls of Tatsuki's tower. Orihime watched her retreat before turning back to Shiro, "You've become so cold Kurosaki-kun..."

"That's because Kurosaki Ichigo is dead." He cut her off, moving to Giri's discarded seat, "However... it seems that more of his essence survived than I had first expected. I suppose that is why I am here now."

"What do you mean?"

"Some of the decisions that I have made recently are... unlike me." He said, examining the tea that had been left by Giri, "Specifically decisions in regards to people who Kurosaki Ichigo considered 'friends'. A prime example of this was my decision to stop my attack on Soul Society." Orihime opened her mouth to speak, but he cut her off, "Yes, yes, I know that you practically begged me to stop. And that is precisely the point. You were somehow able to convince me to leave my most dangerous enemy alive." His eyes locked onto her, filled with an equal measure of hatred and curiosity. "Why? How is it that you were able to do that...?"

Orihime stared at him, surprised by his confession. "You're afraid..." She said quietly. Shiro stiffened and for a heart-stopping moment, she thought he was going to attack her. After a few moments she continued, strangely emboldened by his reaction, "You have built this persona as the unflappable and terrifying creature that the others see you as. But now you've encountered something that your persona cannot beat into submission because it's inside yourself. And you're afraid of what it means."

The air grew more and more tense as Shiro's gaze continued to darken. Finally he spoke. "You are wiser than Kurosaki ever gave you credit for." Orihime's eyes widened in surprise at his statement. "He always considered you rather airheaded. However he also cared about you a great deal." Letting loose a frustrated sigh, he rose and began to pace back and forth. "I think that is why I exist actually..." He paused to look at her, "When you were screaming for him to save you on the roof, he heard you, even as he died. And then I awoke." He turned away, pinching at the bridge of his nose. "Sometimes, I can almost recall what happened in those first few moments of my existence... such darkness and pain shouldn't ever be experienced. But there is something there... something that I need to remember..." He sighed again, closing his eyes.

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Orihime's question forced him back to the present. "I don't understand, if you're supposed to be the unstopable monster that you act like, then why open up to me like this?"

" _I don't know!_ " Shiro's sudden roar struck like a physical blow, knocking her into the railing as a burst of reiatsu erupted from him. Rounding on her, his expression was more like a feral beast than a man. "Everything about this whole situation is wrong. The fact that you seem to have some kind of influence over me is a weakness that I cannot afford. The fact that Kurosaki's emotions keep rearing their heads despite the fact that he is dead and gone is a weakness that _I cannot afford_!" Closing the distance between them in a heartbeat, he seized her by the throat, holding her out over the open air past the balcony edge, "I should end you, here and now!" He hissed, "You represent a threat to everything that I am."

Orihime felt her heart stop in fear for a moment as his grip tightened. Then she met his gaze. In that instant, she saw dozens of emotions warring within him. When his eyes widened, she knew he realized that she had seen. "DAMMIT!" He bellowed, turning and throwing her into Tatsuki's appartment.

Orihime landed with a muffled shriek on the bed, the mattress absorbing most of her impact. By the time she sat up once more, he was gone. Bringing her hand up to her throat where he had held her, she felt tears begin to blur her vision. "Kurosaki-kun..."

* * *

Shiro appeared in an empty hallway of Las Noches, snarling like a beast. "Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! _DAMMIT_!" He roared as he began smashing his fist into, and then through the wall. _Why do that useless bastard's emotions keep coming back?!_ He silently raged, _Especially around her? WHY?_

For seveal hours, his raging howls echoed through the massive palace, leaving several otherwise unused rooms as piles of rubble. When his voice finally quieted, everyone within Las Noches wondered what had happened to enrage their king so, but all knew better than to ask.

* * *

It had been three days. Three days since anyone had seen Shiba Isshin, and questions had begun to be asked all across Seireitei. Hisagi Shuuhei walked through the 9th Squad barracks trying to keep up with the demands of running the squad in the wake of yet another Captain's disapearence. "I just don't get it..." He grumbled to himself, sagging into the seat at his desk, "He was so gung-ho about everything. Did Captain Shiba actually die during the attack...?"

He broke off from the line of thought as a shinigami entered the room, "Lieutenant Hisagi, I have the finalized casualty report."

Hisagi sighed, wishing very much to be able to go for a drink. "Alright, hit me with it. How bad off are we?"

Nodding, the squad member looked down to the report in his hands, "Surprisingly, Squad 9 came out as one of the most lightly damaged squads. The final number of dead from our Squad came out to thirty five percent," Hisagi felt his eyes widen at the number, but the man wasn't finished. "Highest casualties currently lie with Squad 11 at almost sixty eight percent dead, with another twelve percent injured. Average losses across Seireitei totaled in at close to fifty five percent of all Shinigami. Squads 12 and 4 are currently the only squads to have come out of this ordeal almost unscathed. Captain Kurotsuchi didn't allow his squad to actively engage the enemy, so mostly spared them from losses, however his disappearance and suspected death constitute a massive blow. As for Squad 4, Captain Unohana followed a similar philosophy as Kurotsuchi, however Squad 4 still lost members attempting battlefield aid to injured shinigami during the battle itself."

Hisagi let out a deep sigh, "So what you're saying is that Soul Society is going to be looking to us in Squad 9 to maintain order." He stood, moving to a window, "Dammit... Captain Shiba, where are you?" Sighing again he turned back to the squad member he spoke again, "Alright, we've had our noses bloodied, but we're gonna come back stronger than ever. Squad 9 will be leading the way in the recovery efforts. I want teams of shinigami dispatched out to Rukon within the hour. The people of Soul Society need to know that we're still here for them." He began moving towards the door as well, "There's going to be anger in Rukon, a lot of people lost their lives, and it was our job to stop that from happening. The people are going to be looking to us for both help and accountability. Also, dispatch any Squad members that we can spare to the other Squads to help with their own recovery efforts."

"Sir." The shinigami snapped into a quick salute before shunpoing away.

"Now..." Hisagi said to himself quietly as he made his way outside, "Where are you Captain...?" He leapt up onto the roof of the barracks and gazed out across the brutalized Seireitei. After a moment, he turned back towards the members of the squad scurrying about below him, "You, you and you," He called out to several members, "With me. We're going to go find the Captain."

* * *

Shiro stood in one of Luraunt's labs, gazing at the being suspended in healing reiatsu within a massive glass pod. The Octava Espada stood behind him, overseeing his assistant's ministrations of the various devices that kept the pod active, and it's occupant unconscious. "My lord, are you certain that this is a good idea?" Luraunt asked nervously.

"Honestly Raiche? No, I'm not sure..." Shiro sighed, "But I don't have any better ideas for how to hunt Aizen down." Nodding to the Octava, he firmed his own conviction, "Do it."

Luraunt bowed, turning to the console he activated several controls. The pod began glowing as it's contents began draining. Several moments later, it opened, depositing it's occupant in a crumpled heap onto the floor. The man began to cough as he took his first unaided breath in three days. His eyes snapped open, looking around wildly, until they settled on Shiro's face.

"Good morning Byakuya." Shiro said, his expression unreadable, "I trust you slept well."

" _You!_ " Kuchiki Byakuya tried to lunge at the Hollow King, but fell forward as his legs failed him.

"Don't bother Byakuya." Shiro said, turning to accept a set of clothes from one of Luraunt's assistants. "Your reiatsu is being sealed, you won't be able to fight here. At least, not until I decide to remove the seal." He then tossed the clothing to the Shinigami Captain, "Get dressed," He gestured for the others in the room to leave, "Once you're dressed, the attendant outside will bring you to me, we have something important to discuss."

* * *

 **Ohh man what a weird year...**

 **Ok, so post chapter comments time: As per usual, I have the mandatory apology for always taking so damn long in between chapters. (Maybe someday I'll actually get my act together...) Short chapter this time around, everyone's kinda in the "Recovery process" of the post-battle, (and I'm trying to figure out the best way to continue now that I've killed off a large portion of the main cast :P)**

 **Now, into the minutia of the chapter yes? Seem's Shiro may more may not be even crazier than everyone first thought, and Unohana is slowly beginning to lose her own tenuous grasp on sanity due to the trauma and pressure that her beloved home has suffered. Isshin is missing, and Karin is currently rooming with Ichimaru Gin, Aizen Souske, and Kaname Tousen. (Oh yeah, no way that won't go over awesome with everyone. lol)**

 **Now, I know that a lot of people have been asking me to possibly start shipping Shiro with someone, (Inoue or Nel being the top two, with a Harem-esque sorta thing being the runner up.) And the honest truth of the matter is, I personally am horrible at writing romance, even the depraved, probably abusive sort that would probably come out of a Shiro/Hime ship. So for now I am sorry to report that I have been avoiding it. This may change later on down the road, but for now, Shiro is not likely to start any kind of romantic misadventures. (Again, I'm very sorry.)**

 **With that being said, I do hope to start hammering out some odd relationships between Shiro and his various Espada and 'guests' in the coming chapters. Maybe some friendships, maybe something different. Who knows. Until it's actually written out, we'll just have to wait and see I guess.**

 **Also, some of you are probably going to be upset that I didn't just have Kommamura stay dead. I get it, 'Deus ex Machina' 'Plot armor bullshit' strikes again. But honestly, my reason for not letting him just die, is because he's actually among my top five favorite Bleach characters, (Not to mention he just looks so badass!) So I felt really bad about killing him off, and it was either have him survive, or try and come up with some convoluted plot contrivance for how Kyouraku Shunsui could survive taking a Cero Oscuras to the face (Because he's my other favorite Shinigami). And Komamura just felt like a slightly less bullshit workaround. (I know, I know, I'm being greedy and kinda stupid. But I wanna dammmit :P)**

 **Aaannnywhos, that's it from me for now, Happy New Year everyone, and I hope you all have a wonderful 2018. My heart goes out to all of you who live in the US, and I hope your psychotic President doesn't actually manage to kick off WW3. And as always, please feel free to comment, and critique and rage at me in the comments. (Although I hope there is not much rage, I like you guys too much.)**

 **Happy Holidays, ciao.**


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